Against All Odds
by Tokyo Rabbit
Summary: An assassin had come for her, but so had the king of Earth, both working for a greater cause but each a different motive: murder vs inadvertent love.
1. Prolouge of Meeting

_AN: Only slight changes have been made, like Jupiter and her mother's names have been changed slightly. Other than that and the editing done by Anonymosity (arigato!). Enjoy!_

* * *

**Prologue**

_Tokyo Rabbit_

He waited in the cold night; for how long, he couldn't tell. Morning dew was already starting to accumulate in the forest and on his pitch-black cloak due to holding still for so long. Even the Crystal Forest's wildlife was already beginning to stir in the dead hour.

Where was she?

Sleep seemed to taunt him while he sat on the damp ground and leaned against a crystal tree, arms crossed against his broad chest. His eyes were closed, but his ears were tuned to the faint rustling sound he could now detect.

Confident that the noise had come from the person he had been waiting for, he said, "You are late," without so much as stirring from his position.

"I never specified what time I would arrive," spoke the cloaked figure that appeared in the clearing.

Opening his eyes, a smirk played across his face. "True."

"However, I do apologize for any sleep you have lost on this fated night," the female voice paused, pursing her lips to delicately phrase the remainder of her sentence, "but certain obligations kept me from meeting you sooner."

Standing now, he waved a hand in dismissal.

"Think nothing of it. Let me hear your reason for this whole shenanigan so we may return to where we are assumed to be."

The smaller figure nodded, and the Moon caught her icy violet eyes under the shade of the hood.

"The Princess is going to die."

He felt his muscles go taut as he stood straight and rigged, "What?"

"That is, if we do not do something," she continued. "An assassin has infiltrated the Moon and the Queen refuses to admit that something has slipped passed her attention. Due to her stubbornness, her daughter's life is being threatened considerably."

"How do you know that the assassin is after the Moon Princess?" he asked skeptically. "Or that the assassin even exists in the first place?"

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly at his disbelief, "When the Princess was born, it was prophesized by the Sisters of Jupiter that a servant of the Silver Court would betray the Moon and murder it's Light."

"You mean Princess Serenity."

"Yes. They said the betrayal would begin when the Sun's 'tears' would flow."

"I do not understand," he said truthfully.

"Being the Sun's pride, I am surprised to hear that you have not noticed the irregular activity in solar flares and sun spots." There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

He gave a snort.

"So I assume that those abnormalities are tears?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes and then hoped that his own hood was keeping his face hidden completely from the Moon's silver light. This woman was not one to defy, for she held the power of Death in one breath and the power of Rebirth in a thought. The last thing he needed was for her to sense his cynicism. It was just hard to believe that some vision could have the Silver Court in an uproar.

"You don't believe me," she stated knowingly.

He winced, "Barely."

"The Sun is a star, is it not? And do we not use the stars as our window to spy upon what Fate has in store for us? The patterns of the flares and spots of your protector are a most efficient way of foretelling danger."

He was silent.

"In fact, it was that very form of foretelling that confirmed the whispers of the Dark One's arrival on Earth. You were affected by that very reading. It is what motivated King Terran to begin your studies at age three, for he knew his demise was near and your mother could not wield that Golden Crystal and you could."

He hated that. He hated that his father knew he would leave him and his mother, and that some higher power had a hold over his destiny when he could do nothing to change it.

"Why have you come here tonight?" he asked. In his voice was a bitter cold that gave her motivation to finally reveal her plans, knowing she had his undivided attention.

"I want you to kidnap Princess Serenity." /html?


	2. To Elysion

**I**

**To Elysian **

_Tokyo Rabbit_

News of the assassin reached her ears in a flurry, but not without labor. Serenity knew that something exciting was happening when everyone would whisper frantically but grow as silent as a breath when she came around. They would stare at her and plaster innocent faces on over their gossiping. It was painfully obvious it was something about her, so she began to work immediately to get the bottom of their hurried, hushed activities.

She casually asked Sailor Venus, Head Soldier of her inner bodyguard, about the muted silence, but the princess of the golden planet feigned ignorance. Blast! Contemplating on who to try next, she resolved not to ask Sailor Mars for she would just get defensive. Nor would she ask Sailor Mercury, for she would confuse her with technical jargon (in all simplicity stating that it was none of her business). But it was! So she tried Sailor Jupiter.

"Cerealia, you are one of my best friends. Did you know that?" Serenity smiled sweetly at the tall brunette.

Currently, the Soldier was adding flowers to the wreath that normally adorned her long, wavy clouds of bark-colored hair. It was a symbol of her mother's side of the family which represented the floral aspects of her powers. When she was appearing as Princess Cerealia, the youngest daughter of Jupiter, she wore golden armbands on her dainty, yet strong, wrists. They symbolized the storm portion of her powers which, like her mother and the wreath, descended through her father's side.

"That I did Serenity," Cerealia's emerald eyes twinkled as she smiled, "And you are one of mine as well."

"So, as we have established that, we can talk about anything, right?" the younger princess asked, dancing around the real reason for the discussion.

Fiddling with her green wreath again, she said, "I will tell you nothing you little minx, as it concerns tonight. You should not be snooping around so."

That's when Serenity became desperate, "No! I must know what this unnatural silence is about! It does not concern tonight's ball. I know it! Please, tell me."

"Serenity," the soldier sighed and looked at the girl, "Do not make me break my oath to keep this secret. Leave me."

And that was the end of that. She stormed off to the kitchen to drown her sulking in sweets. Even though they were her bodyguards they were still her best friends! When she was born, the four princesses were only three and began their life's purpose of protecting her. There was another team of Soldiers from the outer planets who protected her, but that was only one of their responsibilities. They were also expected to protect the galaxy from any harmful alien forces, so their presence at the side of their princess was not constant; those four were five years old when Princess Serenity was born. They were also very good friends of hers, but she dare not ask any of them.

Sitting at a small island in the kitchen, she put her pretty chin in her soft hands and huffed, "It is not fair."

A boy only two years younger than she entered the kitchen through the swinging wooden doors carrying a basket full of apples.

"Oh, hello Serenity!" he greeted her.

It was Ganymede, the son of one of Serenity's favorite cooks. He was a pretty boy with sand-colored hair and bright green eyes, and like her, he had been a resident of the Moon Palace for all his life. She teased him a lot for his looks knowing that he would be a heart breaker when he grew older, but he was a really good friend of hers regardless. Their first name basis was a product of their friendship, even though it had to be kept formal when there was something regal or official going on. He was the brother she never had.

"Why, hello Gany," Serenity said with a sly smile, replacing the look of utter depression that donned her face only moments before, "How are you?"

"I'm good, and you?" the boy smiled placing the basket on the wooden counter top, across from where Serenity was sitting. He fished in the basket of shiny red apples and pulled out a green apple. "Your Majesty's favorite," he offered.

She took it gratefully and said, "Gany, have you been hearing talk around the palace lately?"

"Sure, there's always talk," he shrugged. "Why?"

"Have you heard anything about me?"

Gany turned his head slightly and peered at her through narrowed eyes. "Who said anything about you?"

"No one, but it is quite obvious when I walk into a room and everyone shuts up immediately."

"I don't know anythin'."

"You are a terrible liar then," Serenity countered, leaning towards him, "Please, Gany! Tell me! What is this all about?"

"Can't say," he pursed his lips into a thin line.

"Fine then, you asked for it," she straightened up and squared her shoulders, "Ganymede of the house Cupbearer, you are bound to the Silver Court as heat is to fire and so forth. And as such, your loyalty is bound to me in every way I command. I hereby pull rank and order you by royal decree to tell me what everyone has been saying or suffer a most dire consequence."

The boy looked shocked for a moment or two then burst out laughing. "Good one! Almost had me!"

"This is no joke!" Serenity whined indignantly.

The door swung open and a small black creature with maroon eyes and a yellow patch of fur in the shape of a crescent padded into the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Gany is breaking the law," the Princess spoke above the hysterical laughter in a sulking way, glaring at him.

"Well, your mother requests an audience with you Serenity, so when you are done here..." The cat smirked.

"Okay, Luna."

The creature shook her head at the two and turned to walk out. A short while after Luna left Gany stopped laughing, brushed tears from his eyes and said, "That royal mumbo-jumbo has never worked on me before, Ser. You know that."

Her eyes narrowed, halfway hating it when he called her that, but it was part of their treatment towards each other. They really did act like siblings so she called him Gany because it sounded like a girl's name while he called her Ser as in 'sir,' as if she were a man. So at the same time, she loved it when he called her his special nickname. She was sure that he felt the same about her name for him.

"I know, but I must find out! Gany, if you love me, please tell me," she pleaded with real tears welling up in her crystal blue eyes.

The boy's mood changed with a flick of a switch. Looking down at the floor he sighed, "Please don't make me say something so awful..."

"What do you mean awful?"

"There's talk-now, Serenity, I swear if I hear you utter this to anyone and say it came from my lips, I'll deny everythin'," he exclaimed, then began again, "There's talk about your life being in danger."

What? No, that didn't sound right to Serenity. Who would want to hurt her? She was destined to be the most powerful ruler in the galaxy. Besides, over her life span (that she knew of any ways) there hadn't been any new crime waves on the Moon.

"They say that an assassin has come here to kill you," her friend said sadly.

There was a long pause before the princess responded.

"No, that can't be right. The Soldiers would know about it, and they would tell me," she said, disbelieving.

"They do know about it, but they didn't want to scare you. That and your mother doesn't believe it's true, or she would have felt a new enemy here," Gany looked at her with pain in his eyes, "I don't want to believe it either. Now, it's just a rumor, and that's all I want to think of it."

"That cannot be it."

"Serenity, I wouldn't kid about something this serious," the boy said, becoming slightly angry.

"I must go see my mother now," she got up to leave, but before she walked out on her friend, she turned to him and smiled. "Thanks for the apple."

* * *

"Serenity, for precautions only, Princess Freya is going to accompany you throughout the whole night," Queen Selenity of the Moon explained to her daughter. 

What Gany had told her only moments before came to mind, "Whatever for, mother? Precautions against what?"

The fair queen straightened up and her lips pressed into a thin, pink line, "Precautions. That is all I have to say about it."

Again with the veil of mystery! She swore that if one more person tried to shun her and turn her attention somewhere else, she would scream.

Sailor Venus, otherwise known as Princess Freya, saw her princess' discomfort and said, "I will accompany Princess Serenity through the night, your Majesty."

And with that the Head of the Inner Guard lead her princess out of the throne room and said, "Do not worry too much about it."

When they reached the gardens Serenity stopped, looked at her friend and inquired, "Is there an assassin on the Moon?"

"Where did you hear such a thing from?" Freya laughed strenuously.

"I cannot say, but it is true, is it not?" Her brow furrowed.

"No, it is not," the Soldier stated, eye twitching.

The Moon Princess smirked, "Did you know that your eye twitches when you lie?"

"Does not!" Twitch, twitch.

"Yes, there. The left one."

Twitch. "Does it really?" She asked, taking out her crescent-shaped mirror she got as gift from Queen Selenity years ago.

"Ever so slightly and only when you lie, but yes. It does."

There was a long silence. Moments dripped by like tiny grains of white sand in an hourglass. Pressure built up, bearing down upon them with incredible potency. Chains were breaking and boards were snapping, Serenity could feel it. Years of knowing the princess of love told the Serenity that all she had to do was wait a little longer...

_"ALL RIGHT!" _The princess of Venus exploded, face almost nearing a purple hue from holding her breath most noticeably, "Who told you!"

Serenity could hold a secret just as well as her friend, so she changed the subject, "So it's true then?"

"Yes. That is why I have been asked to watch over you tonight," Freya admitted slowly.

The Moon Princess would later learn that 'watch over' was a vast understatement.

* * *

The rogue guest stood amongst the near entirety of the Silver Court, waiting for the Moon Princess to make her appearance down the pristine stairs of the castle of Serentatus. He felt ludicrous standing there in his black formal attire and mask, but was slightly reassured when he looked around to see several other guests wearing masks as well. It was, after all, his employer's idea for the ball to be a masquerade, so as to keep questions down to a minimum when it came time for him to act. 

He looked to his left and saw Queen Selenity sitting on her throne looking over everyone, head held high. Next to her was a smaller, less elaborate throne that was most obviously the princess'. To the immediate left of the princess' throne stood nine women of royal blood dressed in their finest; that would be Princess Serenity's Guard, Inner and Outer. He recognized every one of them as would the rest of the Court: Princess Freya of Venus and the Head of the Inner Guard; Princess Talaria of Mercury, Princess Minerva of Mars, and Princess Cerealia of Jupiter, all of who made up the Inner Planetary Guard. Then there was the Outer Guard: Queen of Uranus and the Head of the Outers, Adrastea; Queen Lysithea of Neptune, Princess Eris of Saturn, and Queen Persephone of Pluto. These were the women he had to smuggle the princess past, not to mention the palace guards.

There was a series of trumpets sounding to gain the vast room's attention.

"Guests of the Silver Court," a herald announced once the room was completely silent, which didn't take long, "The Moon Princess and heir of the Silver Court, Princess Serenity."

An angel made her appearance as she rounded the corner and began to descend the stairs of white. The whole room seemed to inhale in awe as her eyes swept across the room apprehensively. Applause rang through the ballroom, making her smile appreciatively.

The masked man tore his eyes away from the Royal Guard to look upon his target and his jaw dropped. She was absolutely breathtaking with silky skin that reflected the Moon's Silver light, hair flowing in heavenly clouds of spun silver, eyes of cool, crystal clear water, and the face of an angel that surely God was proudest of. His heartbeat was irregular in speed and rhythm while his stomach lurched in a way that made him feel strangely anxious. Surely this was not the princess he had to steal away tonight! But the gold crescent moon that resided on her pretty forehead told him that this was indeed Princess Serenity, not some hallucination of a madman.

"This is going to be more difficult than I thought," he muttered under his breath.

Serenity made her way to her mother's throne, and when she came upon it with delicate steps, she bowed her pretty little head. Queen Selenity bowed her head also, formally receiving her daughter. When the princess took her throne the queen leaned over to murmur to her, "Happy birthday, Serenity."

Serenity whispered back, "Thank you Mother."

A man who stood nearly as tall as two men stepped forward with a woman. He was a sight to see and all who looked upon his physique-iron poles braded together for arms, shoulders wide enough for several people to sit upon them, beard of white curls that rested on his chest in abundance just as did his hair-knew who he was. King Zeus, Ambassador of Jupiter. The huge gold armbands that donned his arms confirmed that. The much smaller, slender woman standing next to him with soft clouds of auburn hair floating down her back, deep forest green eyes, and a wreath upon her head was his wife, Queen Hera.

Zeus laughed his loud, booming laugh and said, "Dear Serenity, happy birthday!"

His deep, resounding voice made several people near him wince while his wife just smiled sweetly. Serenity giggled quietly.

"And in honor of your sixteenth year, my daughters will sing their songs of revelation for you."

The king of Jupiter and his wife stepped back and nine more women came forward.

The room looked surprised and began at once to whisper to their partners in shocked gossip-- these women where the sisters of Jupiter, the Muses. It was said that their songs told of the future to come and it was an impossibly rare treat to hear their melodic voices. This was a once in a lifetime chance.

The eldest seeming one spoke up while taking a step forward, making the room go apprehensively silent.

"Princess of the Moon, the stars foretell of great things to come for your Majesty, as they do for things of sorrow, but before we sing of mysteries yet to be brought to light, our sister, fellow daughter of Jupiter, must come forth to join us."

The room's attention swept to the princess's Guard. Princess Cerealia, wearing a dress of green satin, dainty golden armbands, and a wreath upon her head looked anxiously out at the nine women standing in the center of the enormous room. She hated doing these gigs with her older sisters, but she knew that they would not let her refuse. Stepping off to the side, she made her way down through the crowd and out into the clearing, taking her place next to one of her sisters.

The one who had spoken stepped back into the half circle that her sisters made. They opened their mouths and the sound that resounded through the white archways was one that sent shivers through their audience and brought tears to several eyes. Their voices were eerily beautiful and mournful. However, what caught Serenity's attention so aptly was a lingering voice that seemed to be trying to reach her understanding.

No one can fight Destiny  
A Goddess' heart holds the Key  
_Laila tu wayla..._  
A Golden Knight protects the Silver Angel,  
As he comes for her in the shade of night  
_Seye ni ruoy wyth... _

A fateful union of Silver and Gold,  
A true love for all to behold  
_Lemera cesa tu lyn..._  
Oh blessed union of Silver and Gold,  
Beware of evils pure and old  
_Gopina tela rae lliw... _

In her castle of black ice,  
Illusionary Queen beckons the Goddess and her Knight  
_Laila tu laya revlis..._  
Beware her box for it's evil only you will see,  
Legendary Soldier, come forth and set us free  
_Syal celsa tu wayla... _

Muses, let us retire from the stars,  
Let us end our tale,  
_Shya ne laila no..._  
For now we celebrate our blessed Serenity,  
Bright Angel beautiful for all to see  
_Chalane tu najane... _

Serenity's eyes filled with tears. Something so sad was being conveyed in a cryptic message through the song to her. She looked around to see how everyone else was reacting but on the guests' faces were looks of jovial appraisal as the ovation thundered on. Was she the only one who felt that way about the Muses' song? And what about that whispering voice she heard that seemed to be right over her shoulder, talking in a different language? Did anyone hear that as well?

Shaking her head, she blinked away her tears and began to clap vigorously while replacing her look of confusion and sadness with a labored smile. The sisters bowed and melted back into the crowd while Cerealia rejoined the Guard.

On the other side of the room where the masked rogue stood watching the princess intently, there stood another who could recognize him in any set of circumstances. The tall woman moved silently to stand over his left shoulder.

"I had been informed that the Servant of the Sun had declined his invitation for there were pressing matters in his kingdom to deal with. So why is he here in my mistress' domain, masked and unannounced?" she demanded.

The man's misty, yet determined stare remained upon the silver angel sitting upon her throne, for he need not turn to see who was speaking so closely to his ear; he knew who it was, just as she had known who he was, but how had she moved from her position without his notice?

"Ah, but have you not noticed the room twirling around you?" She teased with only a slight hint of amusement in her voice, "The dance has begun. What are you gazing at so vigilantly?"

He hated it when she did that. Her powers were great, but one ability he was sure she didn't have was the one to read minds. However, when she answered his private thoughts as if she had read them, it made him question what he knew about her.

Her maroon eyes traveled along to see her princess dancing with King Zeus, no easy feat. "So the Princess of the Moon has caught your ravenous eye."

The young man felt the woman step forward and she was so close to him now that her lips nearly brushed against his earlobe and her hot breath swept across his shaven cheek.

"Let me warn you now, your Majesty, that it is not to be so. For if you touch one silver hair upon her head, I, along with the rest of the Guard, will have your head to mount."

A smirk crept upon his astoundingly handsome face as he watched the Queen of Time walk off in her defiantly wise way from the corner of his eye. Oh how little she knew, but that was all part of the plan, was it not? Ignorance of the conspiracy against Queen Selenity...

His leer grew more distinguishable as he slipped into the rambling crowd of wallflowers who watched the rest of the guests waltz across the room. Eyes always intently fixated upon the princess, attention tuned to her, and senses aware of her Guard's nearness, he moved towards her.

The angel sighed, exasperated at her friend.

"Freya, is this really necessary?" she whined.

"Is what necessary, Princess?" The princess of Venus asked, eyes sweeping over the surrounding guests several times.

"You know what! Following me as if you were no less than my shadow. I only have room to breathe when I am on the dance floor," Serenity complained quietly. "Besides, do you really think there will be an attack with all these people around-"

She had to cut her defense short, for a man in a mask stepped up to her, bowed and said, "Princess Serenity, how elated I am to be a part of your celebration this evening."

Perplexed, she watched as he righted himself and her breath caught. Masked though he was, he was still amazingly handsome; hair as black as the deepest reaches of space fell attractively in his face, eyes of a midnight blue horizon streaked with gold gazed at her, and a figure that loomed over her own height made her want to fall into him.

"I-uh, thank you-" The princess stuttered, not sure what to do with herself.

"Baron Phaethon of Charon," the young man took her hand and kissed it, sending strange waves of excitement through her body.

"A member of Queen Persephone's counsel?" Serenity asked when Phaethon released her hand.

The baron smirked, "You could say that."

Rolling her eyes, Freya stepped forward, "Excuse me your Majesty, but I must go speak with Princess Eris."

Watching the golden princess walk off, he smiled and turned his attention towards Serenity once more.

"May I?" he inquired.

She looked at him with a question in her eyes, but it came apparent what he meant as he lead her out onto the marble floor where people where waltzing to beautiful music that resounded throughout. Before she knew it the two were dancing across the floor with an unbelievable grace that even surprised Serenity. Sure she knew how to dance, but her sore feet told of her previous dance partners' lack of rhythm.

_

* * *

_

_Strange things... _'Phaethon' walked down the dark hallways, his thoughts residing on the night that lay only moments behind him. He and the princess had danced the night away, quite literally. Once the two had begun their magical waltz, it didn't sojourn until the celebration itself came to an end.

Once the guests were leaving, the masked man decided it was the most opportune time to slip away into the depths of the castle while commotion was at its highest. He bid the Moon Princess goodnight, surprisingly, with great dismay. She seemed to hold the same opinion as she asked him if he would be visiting the Moon again anytime soon. Grinning, he reassured Serenity that he would, indeed be visiting her soon. Very soon.

Phaethon came upon a large corridor and had to sweep to the side, pressing himself against a pillar due to a palace guard making his rounds. Moving only to keep hidden, he watched the royal sentry march past. The man looked as if he would rather be doing anything in the world than patrolling the castle, for the Milky Way had not seen any inkling of war for the past sixteen years. It was a boring and trying time for all warriors alike.

Resuming his stealth down the vast, dimly lit hallway, Phaethon came upon a pair of pristine doors that he knew to be Princess Serenity's quarters. Slipping inside the dark room he found the princess's wardrobe; a perfect hiding place.

Serenity hummed to herself lightly as she walked to her room. Baron Phaethon... Later, she would have to interrogate her friend Sailor Pluto (known as Queen Persephone) about that man in the Queen's Counsel.

Closing her bedroom door behind her, she sighed happily. Something about his persona reached out to her in ways she could not describe. Something about him made her want to make an effort to get to know him, a revelation that surprised her. A countless amount of suitors had come to claim the fated Princess Serenity's hand since she was twelve for all the wrong reasons: power, lust, status. Love was something she couldn't take a chance to believe in for the fate of the Silver Court rested on her silken shoulders, as it was her destiny to reign one day. Love was also something that plagued her dreams as of late; unattainable and yet excruciatingly desirable, it always danced out of her reach. Was it something that, due to her certain 'privileges' of birth, she couldn't have? Something she would have to forfeit?

_Something... _

Something made her believe in Phaethon, luring her curiosity and senses to take that plunge to find out who he really was in character and heart. Changing into the nightgown that was laid upon her bed, she contemplated the reasons behind her trust in the masked stranger. Was it the warmth in his hands or the mystery that shone in his eyes?

Climbing into bed, she resolved that it would be no good to dwell on it, as she would get no sleep whatsoever. Smile on her face, the Moon Princess slipped peacefully into slumber, unknowing that a pair of indigo eyes watched her. The owner of the cobalt orbs dared not move for an eternity it seemed, not until he knew for sure she was asleep. A soft snoring sound drifted to his ears, making him smirk.

Silently he slipped out of hiding and crept to Serenity's bedside. His movements to capture her halted as he looked upon her. Kneeling, he resolved just to look upon the sleeping goddess before him for just a little while. Asleep, her face omitted an aura of the innocence that she truly held within every nook and cranny of her soul. Who would want to kill such a beautiful creature? His heart jumped in a strange way at the thought of Serenity's life being snuffed out like a candle's flame, and his eyes became moist.

Standing, he hardened his heart and set his jaw firmly; the bizarre emotion that just ran through his body was enough motivation to perform the act of prying the princess from her home several times over but only once should suffice. Positioning himself, Phaethon, with cat-like reflexes, gagged the princess, who was now thrashing about, and slung her over his shoulder. Looking around he spotted a balcony and decided that was the route to go. Traveling through the palace itself was too risky, as anyone would know.

Serenity's mind was reeling as she was hauled up upon someone's shoulder. What was going on! One moment she was in her bed dreaming of wondrous things and now...!

The intruder stepped out on her balcony, the cool night sending chills up her spine as she beat furiously upon her attacker's back. She tried to scream out but the gag prevented her from doing so. Where was Luna? Why wasn't her guardian calling for help? The princess's heart plunged as a vision of a cat's corpse flashed in her mind.

Serenity screamed again as the two fell a good ways down to the damp grass below. Mind frantically trying to think of a solution while struggling with all her might, she spotted a patrolling guard. Hope seemed to fuel her adrenaline rush only more so. Figuring her captor was a man due to his height and broad shoulders, she wriggled slightly to position herself for what she hoped would set her free. Aiming blindly, she gave a swift hard kick where she prayed would be most damaging. Her hopes were rewarded when her captor groaned in pain and sunk to the ground.

Scrambling to her feet, Serenity fumbled with her gag while her hands shook wildly in fear, making the task very difficult. Running hard towards the guard whose back was turned on her, she began to cry out as the piece of tightly bound cloth fell away from her mouth, but her plea for help was cut short as something pulled hard on her hair, sending her crashing to the ground. Rolling over on her side, clutching her head, she only had room for one peep as a firm hand clasped like iron over her mouth.

Her attacker hauled her up against his chest with crushing strength. Now she was kicking wildly in the air, thrashing her head about as she clawed at the hands that bound her as the assailant nearly dragged her into the dark forest that surrounded a good portion of the Moon Palace.

Breathing hard, Phaethon threw Serenity down on the ground.

"More trouble than you're worth," he spat.

"Then let me go!" the princess shrieked quietly, panting as well.

She was terrified of this man. The forest and night's shade worked against her by keeping her assailant's face hidden from identification. For several moments, she tried to will her feet and legs to function enough to run out of the man's reach, who seemed to be peering out at the nearest guard. The same inside source that had told him where to find Serenity's room told him that he would not be able to phase from inside the castle to the desired location. Barriers kept anyone from doing that, so he would have to do it outside.

"Afraid I can't do that," the man replied, kneeling to grab hold of her once again, "My word was given that I would deliver you safely."

"Deliver?" She squeaked, whole body trembling, "Where are you taking me!"

He grinned as he hauled her up once more, crushing her body to his.

"To Elysian."


	3. People of Mau

**AN: **_Here is chapter two, via Loki's editing!! Thanks Loki!!

* * *

_

**II  
People of Mau**

"No…! Let me go…! Monster…!" Serenity's shrieks echoed through the vast corridors of the golden palace.

"What in the--"

Four men and a woman rushed forward to meet the King and his 'guest', "Endymion--is this…her?"

Phaethon threw the girl down, panting, "Yes, this is, she."

"Ow…!" Serenity wailed, rubbing her bottom slightly -- pain, quickly replaced by fury as she turned on him, "You loathsome, foul, horrible- it's, it's _you!"_

Her kidnapper bowed mockingly, anger in his eyes, "Yes, Baron Phaethon of Charon or-" he removed the mask, "as most know me, King Endymion of Earth."

The woman rushed forward, "Serenity! Are you all right?"

"No! Of course I'm not all right! I have been kidnapped by an ambassador of my mother's court!" She raged, trying to push the woman away.

"Endymion…! Just look at her, what did you do--ah, _stop struggling!_ I'm trying to help you up!"

The young king surveyed the girl as the woman set her on her feet. She did, in fact look like a mess -- her thin nightgown covered in dirt and damp from the night dew on the Moon's grassy plain. The material clung in interesting ways to her now grubby porcelain skin as her silver hair hung limply in tangles.

Endymion, however, figured he must look somewhat bedraggled himself, ebony hair matted and flying every which way, a dirt-covered face.

"I brought her to safety, just as Eris and Freya ordered," the king shot a dirty look at the four men with looks of bemusement upon their faces as they stood there and listened.

"Eris... Freya... What? Why would they want this _brute_ to kidnap me?" Serenity spat angrily.

"Now…now, kitten," Endymion smirked, his irritation and frustration turning into delight at seeing the princess' discomfort.

"Your Majesty, _I'm_ a kitten, but did you really have to handle her so roughly?" The woman scolded.

"Handle her--!" He was at a loss for words. Was it not she who scratched, pinched, hit and kicked all the way from the Moon Palace to the palace of Elysian?

One of the men snorted while another jabbed him in the ribs. Straightening to his full height, Endymion privately reveled at the fear in Serenity's eyes. He gave her a look of pure annoyance while issuing his orders, "Luna, take her Majesty to her quarters while my temper is contained. I did the court a great, treasonous favor at great risk to my own kingdom. I hope you will not forget my kindness and return the favor: _keep her out of my way." _And with that, the king turned on his heel and stormed off to his chambers. One of the men burst out laughing while the other three seemed as if in conflict as to whether or not to laugh as well.

Serenity, however, wasn't paying attention to them, but turned her attention to the woman standing next to her. "Luna?"

* * *

Adrastea, proud Queen of Uranus and Head of the Outer Guard, strolled through the palace. It was night and the entire population of the Moon was asleep, but she remained restless in that dead hour. Something in her soul did not sit well with her retiring for the night just yet, for in her heart was a great sense of foreboding -- something was wrong. Not quite sure as to what foul plans were being implemented under her nose, she decided to patrol the castle. 

Coming upon a smaller corridor, she noticed a slit of light coming from one of the rooms. Moving silently, she made her way to eavesdrop and discover if there was anything of importance said.

"Is the deed done?" A familiar female voice asked the only other possible companion in the room.

"Yes, Endymion has Serenity," the second woman replied calmly, "Make haste to replace the princess before Queen Selenity notices her daughter missing."

Then the first woman reached for something hidden within the folds of her dress, but was cut short when Adrastea burst into the room, looking horrified, "What treason is this?"

Within the room she found Princess Eris of Saturn and Princess Freya of Venus; Freya, with her hand still within a fold of her orange dress, wore a shocked expression on her face. Eris looked calmly at her leader with icy violet eyes that often held wise indifference. "It seems we have been found out," Eris stated nonchalantly.

"What in the name of Miranda is going on here?" Adrastea stepped forward, a dangerous edge in her voice.

"If you would, Uranus…please shut the door behind you as more attention is something we wish not to attract." Freya moved her hand from its concealment of silk to look her equal squarely in the eye.

"What is going on?" The queen repeated, placing a hand on the hilt of her sword hanging loosely upon the hip against her dress of navy blue satin.

"Eris, if you would." The princess of Silence moved past her superior in rank to close and latch the door -- the Head of the Inner Guard motioning for her counterpart of the Outer to sit with her opposite one another at the crude wooden table. Cool blue eyes narrowing, Adrastea accepted the silent offer to listen to her comrades.

* * *

Once within her designated quarters, Serenity looked unbelievingly at the woman before her. The king of Earth had said she was known as Luna, but how could it be? She looked only a couple of years older than Serenity, her hair the color of coal and fell in soft clouds, save for two buns on top of her hair. She had maroon eyes and a yellow crescent moon in the middle of her forehead mirroring her own. Everything would have seemed normal to the princess, all but the long black tail that swished with amusement that is. 

"Artemis and I are not from the Moon, but from a planet far from this galaxy known as Mau. This is my true form," Luna explained.

"But why...?" Serenity questioned as she sat on the vanity's stool.

"It is much easier to fit in as a cat," she answered smugly, "Artemis shares that opinion and we only take our natural forms when necessary."

"But if you come from another kingdom, then why are you part of the Silver Court?" This didn't make sense. For as long as she could remember, Luna had always been her guardian cat, whose hobby it was to nag persistently at her. Artemis also was her guardian, but stayed with Princess Freya to help with the Guard.

"We had heard of Queen Selenity, a wondrous and noble ruler whose kindness and goodness out shone her predecessors.' We were aware too of her pregnancy; it was foretold that her child would be the most powerful ambassador that ever lived. The child would grow to one-day rule the entire galaxy and later, the universe. Artemis and I came to the Moon to guide you to follow your mother and father's path of righteousness. Unfortunately, your father never had the opportunity to hold you, due to losing his life in the war against the Dark One."

"I-I don't understand... You heard about me and decided to come and serve my mother?" Serenity's head felt light and the room about her began to dance. She knew of her destiny to rule the Silver Court, but the universe? Never in her wildest dreams had she perceived that.

"Yes, for example, the Duchesses, Phobos and Deimos come from Kronos, another planet belonging to a different galaxy. When Princess Minerva was born, the twins descended upon Mars to protect and guide the princess' special gifts of Sight."

Clutching onto her seat, the Moon Princess swallowed the lump in her throat, "I still don't understand..."

Luna looked her over, placing her hands on her hips, "Yes, well…it's not to be expected of you at this point in time. Come, let's get you clean and dressed for bed."

"Wait…!" Serenity put up her hand to halt her friend's efforts to help her, "What about King Endymion? Why did he drag me away from Serentatus?"

"Ah yes, the matter of the 'kidnapping….'"

* * *

"What? What do you mean 'King Endymion has kidnapped Serenity?'" Cerealia of Jupiter demanded, outraged, "What had caused him to commit such an act of treason?" 

Adrastea gave a wry smile at her friend's reaction. It mirrored her own earlier before Freya and Eris explained to her why they had plotted against the Court with the king of Earth. Now it was the rest of the Guard's turn to wait and hear their plan.

"Calm yourself, Cerealia;" Eris ordered kindly, "She is safe."

"Safe? How can she be-" The brunette was cut off by Princess Talaria of Mercury.

"I am sure they have an explanation as to why this has happened, Jupiter. So please..."

The princess of Jupiter sat back down reluctantly, allowing Freya to continue, "Yes, Endymion had kidnapped Serenity at Eris' and my request."

This created another disturbance, silenced as Adrastea rose, "Please, listen… You know of the assassin sent to kill our princess?" There were a series of nods. "As Soldiers, our duty and sole purpose is to protect Serenity. And this being the case, we cannot risk taking the rumors lightly. While we beg and plead with our queen to take the necessary actions to protect her daughter, she scoffs at the possibility."

"Queen Selenity has been acting strange lately..." Talaria said thoughtfully.

"Then, we are not the only ones to have noticed it," Freya responded with quiet triumph, "With the threat to Serenity's life very real to us, her mother disbelieves. Eris voiced her concern to me and I agreed we must take action against her Majesty. Sending a message to the king of Earth, Eris met him in the Crystal Forrest of Elysian in secret to plot Serenity's removal from the Moon for her own protection. While the princess lies safely away from here, I would take on her appearance and act as she would. Our thought was that if I gave opportunity a chance, the assassin would then try to make their move."

The room fell quiet, as all were lost in their thoughts until Queen Lysithea of Neptune spoke up, "It is a plan we would gladly follow, so why tell us now?"

"If those of us who knew were to grow in number, so would our secretive attitudes. Queen Selenity would then suspect something, but we knew that Freya, posing as Serenity would not fool everyone. Our intentions were to enlighten you soon after the swap was made," Eris explained.

"But what if we are in need and must contact Serenity, or vice versa?" Princess Minerva of Mars asked.

"That is also something we will have to work hard to conceal," Artemis added as an after thought, "Luna had demanded she go to Earth with Serenity to provide a constant watch. As a Mauian, her natural form would attract less attention as those aware of our people are very few."

Persephone of Pluto remained silent for most of the clandestine meeting due to her struggle with her conscience because she allowed Endymion to go unannounced. Even though she agreed with the rest of the Guard that it was best for Serenity to be in Endymion's care, something within her turned bitter at the thought of the king in the company of her princess. Brushing the thought aside, she looked off into the distance, not really focusing on anything, "Dawn is approaching. Freya, if you mean to pose as Princess Serenity, we must move you to her room unnoticed and with haste."

The blonde nodded and removed a crescent shaped mirror from within the folds of her dress. Holding it aloft, she looked into it. She chanted, "Crescent disguise."

A soft golden light enveloped the princess of Venus. Shortly after, it faded to reveal Princess Serenity, who was tucking the mirror away once again.

"Now, everyone must retire at once while Artemis escorts me to Serenity's quarters," Freya explained.

Everyone got to their feet and left one by one. Cerealia caught up with Minerva, who was well on her way to her room, "Do you think this will work?"

The princess of Fire sighed, "What I believe is something I'm not sure I will understand at this point in time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Brooding on the horizon of our future lurks something catastrophic and I know our fate rests with Princess Serenity. Soon Destiny will rise to test her far beyond what any of us have experienced."


	4. Cage of Gold

**III **

**Cage of Gold **

"Because I hate him…! That's why!" Serenity raged at her guardian-advisor.

"Come now, Serenity. How many times must I convey to you the importance of the situation? Your life was in danger and he agreed to protect you. Why then do you hate him so?" Luna sighed, exasperated.

"And how many times must I must, in response, convey to you my reasons as to why I despise him so?" The young princess placed her hands on her hips, "The man tore me away from my bed in the middle of the night! Not, of course, before gaining my trust while attending the ball held in my honor! He is a snake! A liar! A deceiver!"

Luna sighed once more, rubbing her temples, "Yes, of course he could have handled the situation differently--"

Her princess snorted. "However," she continued, "You must present yourself in a mannerly fashion and represent the Moon before their Majesties. That does not include sulking in your room until this whole thing has blown over."

Years of experience told Serenity when yelling and huffing did nothing to alter one's unwanted circumstances, one must change his or her tactics. Sitting upon the bed, she crossed her arms, looked at Luna coolly and said with unbelievable calm, "I am not going to breakfast, Luna. You go without me. There, you may express my deepest gratitude for his Majesty for rescuing me, and forward my apologies for not sitting with them this morning."

The guardian narrowed her eyes. She had seen this before, knowing it to be a ploy. The princess would cool off within a blink of an eye and would seem all-forgiving. Some would believe the conversation over. However, what had really happened was the princess had become as cold as ice and would ignore all pleas, protests and counter-attacks from the second party.

So Luna changed her tactics as well, "Serenity. I am surprised and disappointed at your behavior."

"Oh?"

"Do you understand what is happening?" She queried, beginning to feel slightly guilty for what was about to be said, "Do you realize what is happening on the Moon while you sit here?" Serenity remained silent. "Your Guard is risking their lives to protect you. Freya is putting herself into the direct line of fire in hopes you can return home safely. His Majesty was also correct when he said that he put his kingdom in jeopardy. If your mother found out, it would mean an all-out war. His people, innocent people, Serenity, are in danger because of you."

With that said, Luna straightened and turned on her heel to leave, but not before saying, "Yes, Serenity...poor you. Now, if you would please excuse me, I am joining their Majesties for breakfast."

She felt guilty, yes. Serenity hadn't really deserved it, but Luna hoped this was the jolt needed to motivate her Princess. After all, it wasn't her fault that Serenity was pampered and over protected all her life... no matter how hard she tried to shape her own path under the Moon's Light.

Walking into the grand hall, the Moon's advisor was announced. The moment she approached the table to inform the young King and the Queen Mother the reason for Serenity's absence, a second party was announced. It was then she felt pride well up within her breast as the Moon Princess strode gracefully into the room, head held high with no trace of grief or tears of self-pity.

* * *

Freya studied her handheld mirror lost in thought. She hoped with all her heart that Serenity was all right and that the switch had gone unnoticed. She paced through Serenity's daily routines: she went for her morning lessons with Talaria of Mercury and made as much of a fuss as her princess might; she went for a stroll in the gardens, and gazed upon the Earth. She had conversations with 'her Guard' and laughed along with them as Serenity might have. 

What she didn't do was make prolonged contact with anyone other than the Guard, especially Queen Selenity. Just because she knew all of Serenity's habits by heart from watching over her for sixteen years and looked like her twin, Freya didn't want to risk being caught. So naturally that meant to stay away from those who had known the princess as long as the Soldier had. That was more than half of the Kingdom, but not only that, she had to pull it off without making it look suspicious -- piece of cake, right…? Freya only hoped that Serenity was fairing better than she was.

* * *

"I have not had the privilege of being on the Moon in ages, Princess. You must tell me, how is your mother? I always did enjoy her company so," a soft, loving voice brought the princess out of her uncomfortable reverie. 

Serenity had been poking at her food for several moments, trying to stifle any and all urges to throw her grapefruit at the king. The only pleasant aspect of the morning had been the pleasant company of Endymion's mother, Gaea. She was beautiful, with her earth-toned hair tumbling down in silken waves, calming blue eyes, and wonderfully comforting smile.

Serenity smiled, "She is doing well. I know that she misses your company as well as she would often tell me of her friend on Earth. Routinely, laughter ensued as she related her stories, for she would delicately tell us of your adventures together as children."

Gaea chuckled softly, "I am sure she also included a kind-hearted warning not to have those events repeated, smiling all the while."

"Of course," the princess responded, allowing herself to laugh politely.

"I know that the delegations of the Silver Court have prevented her from visiting over these long years and once my son became king, it was unnecessary I attend the counsels held between the system's Ambassadors."

"Yes, Mother always works as hard as any, even though we are at peace." A brief silence descended upon the table at the mention of the word 'peace.' There was a foul taste in Serenity's mouth at the thought and its significance given its fragility.

"I am sorry your first visit to our fine kingdom had to be under such grim circumstances." Gaea's maternal, understanding smile never faltered.

Luna's maroon eyes, as did Endymion's cobalt blue, flew towards Serenity's face to gage her reaction, thinking she may still be bitter about the previous night. But the princess placed her soft hand upon the Queen Mother's and returned the kind smile, "Your kingdom is doing me a grand favor. Think not of it as something so grim on my part; to do so would only take away from my fascination with your home." Serenity's comments earned her two quiet coughs.

"Such a pleasant girl..." Gaea's happiness radiated in gentle waves over those around her, she then turned to her son, "My dear, I have a lovely idea. In a few days time, when all wrinkles have been smoothed out indefinitely, why not take Princess Serenity out amongst our people and let her stretch her legs? I am sure she would love to see our planet."

The king seemed to glower for only a moment, trying to hide his utter distaste concerning the subject raised by his mother, settling his cool gaze upon the princess, he gave answer, "I think that can be arranged. That is, if the princess would approve of my ill company."

Serenity's eyes narrowed marginally while Luna's widened. Gaea only chortled, "Now, I think that you can be pleasant when you want to be. Serenity, darling, how does that sound?"

"I will be honored to accompany his Majesty," she answered, biting her tongue to make sure something more didn't slip out -- something unpleasant.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the golden castle of Elysian with Luna. If she couldn't appreciate anything else about her predicament, the castle's structure was something to lift her spirits.

The cream marble held flecks of gold making the halls sparkle with a magical glow, as the Sun's rays played through the high windows of white and sky-blue. It was different from the Moon Palace, as her home possessed very few glass windows. Most of them were open for the atmosphere of the small sphere was always the perfect temperature; the main, ivy-covered palace's dome contained a computer system strictly for controlling the Lunarian weather.

When she was a child, Serenity had, more often than not had asked Sailor Mercury -- her tutor -- about Earth. She had learned as much as she could about the planet without experiencing it first hand. Now she was here, on her dream planet, held captive. Something she'd desired for so long, she decided, was not going to be spoilt in her bitter attitude towards Endymion. She wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction of seeing her discomfort, but she would have the satisfaction of his.

Coming upon a brilliant glass mural, Serenity whispered, "How beautiful…."

"That it is," Luna agreed, equally in awe of the sight.

The stained glass ascended towards the sky at around two storeys high. The pictures beautiful and intricately depicted told a story Serenity tried determinedly to follow, but couldn't.

"King Endymion had this commissioned after the War with the Dark One," a masculine voice explained. The two young women turned to see a tall man with long brown hair and dark green eyes standing next to Luna. He wore a military uniform donning many foreign medals telling of great things achieved by this man. "He was a mere child when it happened. King Terran was killed while fighting along side his comrades." The man turned to face the princess, "By King Apollo's side."

"My father...?" Serenity squeaked, turning her gaze back to the stained glass.

"Yes, they were inseparable those two," Luna smiled, "Much like your mother and Queen Gaea. They died by each other's side, fighting to the last as Warriors do."

"Endymion never ventures down this corridor. Many say he feels bitterness towards his father for dying, leaving him and his mother alone." The man's eyes were cold for a moment, but turned merry once more when they shifted to Serenity, "Of course, you didn't hear that from me."

"And you are?" The princess asked, feeling slightly bitter herself. She knew almost nothing about her father and never had the chance to meet him.

"Nephrite, Your Majesty," the man bowed smiling, "General of Earth's armies and best friend of the brute, I believe is what you called him, who brought you to our fair palace."

"Oh…! Well, I…." Serenity flushed, embarrassed a tad over the events that had taken place the night before.

Nephrite smiled, "Don't worry, I've called him worse on many an occasion, as have the other Generals. I believe you saw them last night as well."

"I'm not really sure about that, General. I wasn't all that aware of my surroundings last night. I'm sure you understand."

He laughed quietly while Luna sent her a halfhearted look of disapproval. "I've never seen him so angry. It was quite amusing," Nephrite's green eyes were filled with great mirth and delight when he announced, "If I show you around, can you promise me something, your Majesty?"

"What would that be, General Nephrite?"

"One, allow the formalities to drop away by calling me by my name, and secondly, promise to get him that angry more often. He needs it."

"I think I can do that," Serenity shone when she smiled her first real smile since the previous night, which had Luna scathing at what her princess was agreeing to, "If you call me Serenity."

"I think I can do that."


	5. Declaration of War

**IV **

**Declaration of War **

**  
**

Serenity found her sanity restored in the company of the Queen Mother and the four commanding Generals of King Endymion's army. As promised, Nephrite had shown her around the palace of Elysian. Its beauty inspired her. For such a cold and callous king, Endymion sure did live in a wondrous place, Serenity thought to herself.

The brunette man had then introduced her to the rest of Endymion's guard. Coming first was the intellectual and quiet Zoicite with his long, cream colored hair and gray, laughing eyes. Jadeite was the exact opposite in that he seemed to be the loudest and most mischievous of the four. He also seemed to be quite the lady's man, Serenity thought to herself, with his short golden curls, sly smile and baby-blue eyes. Their leader and commander was Kunzite, a tall proud man with stark white hair and startling beautiful sea-green eyes. He was also the one who kept them all in check, for even the gentle Nephrite could get out of hand occasionally.

When their duties weren't occupying their time, one of the four young men would seek the Princess out, inviting her to watch and even participate in their activities. Luna didn't approve of most of them, but Serenity had never been happier. Women had surrounded her, chastised her, and protected her all her life. The only man she knew was Artemis and he was a cat, well, for the most part. If the princess felt she had anything at all to be bitter about, it was the way she was shielded from the true joys in life -- one such example being a good game of cards.

"I do believe, Jadeite, that I have beaten you once again," Serenity's eyes shone with triumph as she revealed her hand to her new friend.

The blonde General blinked in disbelief before jamming his hands into his untamed hair and bellowed, "Again?"

Zoicite, who had been reading a book quietly on a nearby windowsill, looked at the table on the balcony-like landing where the two sat, "It would seem the pupil has surpassed the master."

"I don't get how you bloody do it!" he roared before dropping his head in shame, "Sorry, your Majesty."

At this, she grew angry -- not at his cursing but at his apology. She reveled in the Generals' lifestyle. Never had she thought it possible to have so much fun doing such trivial things. Of course, it wasn't very proper for a lady to take part in such things, but who the hell cared? She was free, in a sense, from her mother's strict upbringing. For now at least….

"I, sir, am offended by that comment! You shall never refer to me as 'your Majesty' so long as I may permit it," Serenity squared her shoulders while shuffling the cards in an indignant manner.

At first, Jadeite was abashed, thinking she would in fact chide him for his language, but ended up smiling instead, the mischievous gleam that she had come to know and adore shining in his eyes. "I do think you've gotten a big ego, Serenity, with all of your winning. Perhaps we should up the stakes a bit?"

"What do you mean?"

"Jadeite," Zoicite's voice warned.

He turned to his comrade, an innocent look plastered upon his face, "What?"

The scholar shook his head, keeping his eyes level on the false virtue his friend displayed. Years of experience had warned him against such fronts, and Zoicite wasn't about to let the Princess gamble with Jadeite. No matter how good the man's intentions were-- which they weren't. Besides, what kind of friend would he be if he let Jadeite lose all his money?

"I see she's bested you again, old friend," Nephrite spoke a cool voice full of mirth as he made his way from the gardens to the stairs that led to the low balcony. Luna was by his side, disapproval clearly shining in her eyes.

"Yes, I do believe I have," Serenity wriggled slightly with pride -- it seemed she had found something other than ice-skating she excelled in.

"If only she took to her studies with as much enthusiasm," Luna commented, crossing her arms across her chest, black tail swishing knowingly.

"Luna."

"Do not whine. You know it is the truth."

The men chuckled as their Princess slumped in her chair in defeat. "Friends, we came not to chide you, Serenity, but I do believe we have a wager hanging in the balance as we speak," Nephrite interjected before the two women could continue any further.

"Wager…?" Serenity's ears perked up, her curiosity piqued.

"Ah, going at it again are they?" Zoicite stood, closing his well-worn book shut.

"What? Who?"

"You better believe it," the brunette General smirked, "Have been for the past hour or so."

"Have been at what for an hour?"

Jadeite stood, rubbing his hands together menacingly, "I smell a bet to be won today gentlemen."

"What bet?" Serenity's voice rose with her curiosity bursting at the seams.

"A bet between the three of us, Serenity," Zoicite explained, "You see, our dear King and Kunzite have a competitive flare—"

"You can say that again," Jadeite, snorted.

"As I was saying," the genius shot the other man a look before continuing, "They are somewhat competitive, especially against each other. Most often they can be found sparring as a way of venting their frustrations of one kind or another."

"And Endymion has been very terse as of late."

"Will you ever shut up? Both of our dear friends being as they are and we being who we are—"

"We can't help but wager on who's going to win during their next match," Jadeite finished, who barely caught the book that was hurled his way.

"That's barbaric!" Luna sniffed, much the way a mother would.

"It's brilliant and we're missing it!" Jadeite bounded from his chair then stopped, bowing slightly, "No offence meant, of course."

Serenity watched the men as they began to enter the castle with grins on their faces until they stopped and turned, giving her questioning looks, "Aren't you coming, Serenity?"

"Well, I…." She looked down at her hands in remembrance of how the King had affected her the last time they interacted outside of the routine breakfasts every morning. First, he wooed her then dumped her on her bottom. Twice.

"He'll most likely be in a fit if he sees you, which shall only increase my chances all the more." Nephrite offered a generous smile, which cheered her up some.

Jadeite and Nephrite each offered her an arm as she merrily bounded over to them, ignoring Luna's disapproving looks. Linking her arms with theirs, they started on their way to the room where the two men in question were conducting a match.

"Did you bet against the King, Nephrite?" she asked brightly.

The General chuckled and answered, "No, I bet for him. It seems that when our dear friend's temperament is somewhat high, his skills improve…. Odd really."

Zoicite, standing beside Luna, only shook his head, smiling as he addressed her, "You are welcome to come as well, Madam."

"I suppose I'd better, just in case those two leap at each other's throats again, and to ensure your so-called friends do not corrupt my charge any further than they already have," she sighed, resignedly taking the General's arm.

* * *

Never was there a more magnificent sight to be seen as two glistening, hard-bodied men exercised their awesome power with a good fencing match. They were like two big cats, dancing dangerously with their claws and teeth drawn. Even Luna agreed silently with her Princess as the two entered the training room and gasped at the glorious spectacle.

Now, if only their tattered shirts would fall off completely…. Serenity stopped her thoughts and bit her cheek to bring rational thought back into play. How could she be thinking such things? It was her enemy and good friend for goodness sakes! Not two slabs of meat… then again…. No! "Last I saw them, Kunzite was up two touches," Nephrite explained.

"Excellent," Jadeite beamed, characteristically rubbing his hands together once more, "I like those odds."

"Who—" Serenity licked her lips, stopped to take a deep breath to find her voice which seemed to be caught in her throat, "Who has won more times than naught?"

"Hmm…? Oh, that would be Endymion, usually. They seem to interchange leadership every so often. It keeps us on our toes really," Zoicite offered.

Her crystalline blue eyes avidly watched Endymion -- her sworn enemy -- flex his muscles and move about as if he were born into this world wielding a sword. He enchanted her as he met his Head Guard blow for blow, depthless blue eyes flashing with the fire of battle and his jaw set grimly to achieve the task.

"Beautiful…." The word escaped her lips without thought, barely audible save for one person who heard-- the man on her right, Nephrite.

The sound of cloth being torn brought her out of her breathless reverie as the man she vowed to hate for all eternity let out a grunt when the end of Kunzite's foil met skin through the gauze-like shirt that barely concealed a thing.

"Three up, from the looks of it now," Jadeite gleefully tallied.

Serenity let out a gasp at the sight of blood seeping from the new wound. Storm colored eyes flew for an instant towards her, connecting with her own, before returning to the fight at hand.

"And this is where the tide turns," Nephrite declared, folding his arms across his broad chest confidently.

Indeed it seemed to be so, for Endymion then began to push his General back with renewed vigor. As the match drew on, touch after touch came and soon the King exerted a golden aura that could be seen by all present. It pulsed and wrapped its owner with a protective fierceness that had Serenity's heart skipping. She recognized the power to be that of the Golden Crystal. How she knew this, she wasn't quite sure, because her own powers were limited and would remain so until the day she inherited the Silver Crystal.

"Match!" Zoicite whooped, clasping Jadeite on the shoulder, "I do believe that puts Nephrite and I ahead, does it not? Financially? Eh, friend?"

The man who supported Kunzite grumbled in compliance while the two sparring combatants bowed respectfully and set their foils upon their designated rack. The two fire cats walked towards the small group of spectators to grab their towels. Jadeite immediately went to his fellow General to begin 'coaching' him on how Kunzite needed to start winning more often, for the bets he was losing were amounting to quite a sum. That in turn earned him a highly annoyed look.

Endymion gave Serenity a glowering stare, only to have it ignored. She walked towards the racks and began to inspect the foils.

"Such magnificent workmanship…." She commented, fingering the silver weapon.

"I did not know dainty princesses knew of such robust and brutish things," the King commented, wiping his brow of perspiration.

Taking a foil from the contraption, she held her arm out straight and closed one eye in concentration, "I did not know deceptive and cowardly Kings knew how to fight so well."

There was a noise of approval coming from the group of on-lookers that sounded suspiciously like laughter and encouragement. "And I suppose you know how to fight? I thought it was frowned upon that the Silver Court's _angel_," he stressed the word while shooting his one time friends a death look, "should fight at all -- lift a finger really."

"It is against the law for her to fight," Luna supplied, "The punishment is most severe for those who would even attempt to teach her such a thing."

"Severe?" Kunzite asked, brushing off Jadeite's desperate pleas.

"It is death."

Taking the blade carefully at its center, the Princess balanced the instrument and nodded in satisfaction, "I know how to fence, if that is what you are wondering, mighty pompous one."

Everyone within the room directed their attention to Serenity as she flipped the blade into the air and caught it by its intricately crafted handle, "Quite well in fact."

"Who...?" Her guardian's mouth dropped agape, "Who would do such a thing? I do not believe it."

"Is it really so hard to believe?" Dropping her arm to her side, Serenity looked at her long-time friend with an almost hurt expression.

"Yes," Endymion stated firmly, not allowing Luna an opportunity to gently put down her Princess.

"Well, I could prove it." This earned her a series of mixed responses as her proposal was met with looks of disbelief and displeasure (mainly from Luna's standpoint), intrigue, and surprise.

"Are you saying you would fight me?" Endymion asked cautiously.

Jadeite jumped forward to clasp his King on the shoulder, "My money's on you."

"Why not?" The Moon Princess smiled coyly, enjoying his skepticism.

"If you haven't noticed by now, you are a girl, and as your advisor has already stated, it is death to teach you any form of defense at all."

Instead of giving a verbal response, she set the blade down and approached Luna, "Grant me permission to don the uniform of a Soldier, friend."

Her advisor almost shook with fury, "Only those destined to be a Sailor Soldier may wear one. You know that!"

"Just this once, and I promise I will be extra girly from now on," she pleaded.

The Mauian almost opened her mouth to deny her wishes with a strong scolding, but Endymion's eyes held a masked darkness within their depths when he ordered quietly, "Do as she says."

"Your Highness, you cannot—"

"Luna," came his stern interruption.

All the men in the room stiffened, for they understood what it was the Princess was asking. She could never be a Soldier, for it was not her destiny to be so. Only those born with the special Star Seeds -- the center of power within a being -- could become a Soldier, the female deity warriors, or their male counterparts, Warriors; these entities fewer in number amongst the Sailor Soldiers. Despite the fact Serenity was to inherit the most powerful Seed of all -- the Imperium Silver Crystal -- it simply wasn't meant to be.

Luna resigned, closing her eyes and clasping her hands in what seemed a gesture of prayer, but not before shooting everyone a loathsome glare for having her commit such treason. She began to glow within a corona of soft yellow light and it expanded until Serenity became a mass of light. Soon, before them all stood the Princess dressed in a pure white Sailor uniform, gaining a startled response from everyone. With foil in hand, she strode toward the circle indicating those optional boundaries set aside for various training techniques held within the vast chamber. Placing her feet in a wide, perpendicular position, Serenity raised her arms in the common fencing stance, silently beckoning the King to accept her challenge.

Jadeite for once was speechless and looked on in disbelief as Endymion grabbed his own weapon and joined Serenity in the center of the designated fighting area, "I can't believe they're going to go through with this."

"My money's on Serenity," Nephrite said quietly, Zoicite nodding.

"Kunzite...?" The curly haired General looked to his superior, color draining from his tanned face.

"I shall also place my money on the silver spitfire," he said in a low neutral tone.

Luna could only watch from the sidelines as her stomach performed nauseating flips somewhere near her feet. The match began with the usual formalities of respect. Serenity then hurtled towards her opponent with surprising agility and speed. Endymion barely missed a series of Serenity's advances, expecting nothing like the powerful onslaught he was receiving from the Princess. What he wanted to do was humor her and let her get in a few hits, making her feel good about herself and her poor talents – with the intention of gently putting her back in her place before claiming victory. Naturally, this was what he had in mind -- but to hell with that! He was actually straining to meet her attacks.

"Why," Serenity purred, concentrating on keeping him in retreat, "whatever is the matter, your Majesty? You look stunned."

That's an understatement; he thought harshly when she nicked him, putting her at one to nothing. This GIRL was beating him!

"Try! Give me something to work for!" Her demanding tone infuriated him. Switching his mind from its dumbfounded numbness to the hard, unrelenting Warrior he was, he began to shift the advantage towards himself. His shock was his handicap and it was slowly ebbing away with every advance she made. They remained stationary as each struggled for a few moments before Serenity took two steps back, forcing Endymion to take one forward. Then she jumped back when his attack nearly struck her.

"I cannot watch," Luna declared, and sunk to a bench, placing her hands over her objecting stomach.

Jadeite soon joined her -- pale faced and stuttering while the others stood watching the exchange intently, their eyes holding the two dancing figures aptly with earnest. It was like watching a panther and sprite court one another -- an interesting thought which was more intriguing to watch.

Endymion's mind raced. How in the hell was he supposed to get a hit on her? Firstly, he didn't want to be incinerated by her Guard when they learned he had scratched her, and secondly, it didn't sit right with him that he should cut her simply to win. His eyes focused on her bow flailing about with her light, spring-like movements.

Serenity gasped as she heard the slicing of material. Looking down, she saw one of the ribbons of the sacred uniform fluttering to the ground.

"Does that count?" Jadeite asked, leaning over towards Luna, who in turn gave him one of her infamous looks that sent him into hasty retreat, "Ay, sorry. Just asking."

"He doesn't want to cut her," Kunzite's cool words stated as his pale-green eyes scrutinized the fight taking place with a Warrior's trained eye.

Again, the blonde General was about to ask, but thought better of it as the woman next to him already looked like she was about to faint dead away from indignant anger and horror. The clashing of metal rang true and loud as it reverberated off the walls, gaining the attention of all.

Zoicite stepped forward, eyes never leaving the scene before him, "Do you see it?"

"I do." Kunzite answered.

Nephrite's arms slowly dropped to his sides as he saw it as well, knowing that all present could see it just like he. The Princess was radiating in her own silvery light, matching that of the King with his aura of power. Gold met Silver and the two mingled, intermixing with one another in a seductive rhythm. It was awe-inspiring to see the light receiving one another so fluidly, but the exchange created something startling at the same time.

"I think someone should end this soon before—" The white haired General found himself cut off in mid-sentence by a loud clang as a foil was sent skidding across the wooden floor, disarming an opponent.

Endymion looked at Serenity in stark disbelief, fire in her eyes, blade hovering inches from his throat. She had disarmed him in a moment of weakness. Breathing heavily, she lowered her foil and set it aside smoothly on a nearby rack. That was all Luna needed to see before she rushed forward, looking her charge over in a fuss.

"Where...? Where in the world -- who would dare--" She stuttered in rage, "Who would dare teach you how to fight?"

Serenity looked over the cuts Kunzite and she had inflicted upon Endymion. Stepping forward, she gingerly touched them with genuine concern in her eyes. Endymion watched her intently and caught her hands in his, "I want to know the same thing. Where did you learn how to fence like that?"

She watched the wounds heal up with a measure of curiosity. Looking into the King's eyes, she answered the question on everyone's lips. Who would forfeit their life to teach the Moon Princess to defend herself?

"My mother…."


	6. Midnight Treason

**V**

**Midnight Treason**

Serenity looked up at the night sky, watching the waning silver Moon intently. Luna's reaction to her ability to fight was nothing short of livid. The advisor demanded her Princess tell her who had taught Serenity such a thing. The girl's response was 'my mother.' It was the truth and Luna almost fainted. The Generals remained silent, lost in thought while Endymion studied her carefully, his eyes revealing nothing.

It actually surprised Serenity that she had won the spar. She was well aware that Endymion was far more advanced at swordplay than she was; her victory was the result of his surprise and unease at the idea of fighting her. For all his life, the young king was trained in the art of diplomacy and warfare. He was a born Warrior, currently the most powerful in the Milky Way galaxy. Serenity had little power of her own, compared with that of her Soldiers, and had never been taught anything but history, philosophy, mathematics, and many other subjects a Princess was destined to learn.

Yet, when she turned ten, Queen Selenity took her daughter aside on those peaceful days and taught her how to fence. She even allowed Serenity to wear a Sailor Soldier's uniform, which delighted the little girl to no end. The lessons stopped, however, when she turned fifteen. Selenity told her she had excelled despite only having lessons twice a week, but it had to stop. She only wanted her daughter to know how to defend herself physically -- just in case. Lessons of power and defense for the whole galaxy were to come later.

Of course, Serenity had told Luna all of that, but the advisor's complexion hadn't improved whatsoever.

A thought crossed the Princess's mind as she continued her embroidery of an azalea. Jadeite lost twice within thirty minutes. If that didn't cheer her up, nothing would.

She sighed and looked at her Guardian sitting near by with her eyes closed. It had been a hard day for Luna, she knew. Serenity only wished it hadn't been so difficult for her. It all came back to the fact Serenity had been over-protected all her life. Sure, the members of her personal Guard were her best friends; she had grown up with the Inners and the Outers were like aunts, or distant cousins that visited often.

"I can't get over how glorious this day was," Jadeite's voice reminded Serenity that the Generals were still in her company.

Nephrite sat upon the same windowsill Zoicite had earlier occupied, strumming absentmindedly a pleasant, quiet tune on his lute while the scholar sat in a chair reading by candlelight. Jadeite sat upon the stone steps that led up to the castle and Kunzite stood like a statue at the ornate stone railing.

"How so, Jadeite?" Serenity asked, eyes focused on her work.

"Endymion was beaten by a girl," he said breathlessly, "Not that's necessarily a bad thing, of course."

She smirked, "Of course."

Setting her needle down, she breathed in the cool night air and looked up at the sky once again, "I have to admit myself that it was quite surprising. The look on his face…."

Everyone chuckled quietly while Luna opened one eye to look at her Princess, only to close it again. It was a quiet evening and the Generals excused themselves with promises to see her at breakfast. Luna stifled a yawn and retired for the evening as well, telling Serenity that she should do the same soon.

Setting her work down on the chair next to her, she stood and inhaled deeply. The generous light of the stars blanketed the gardens before her and the slight breeze carried the scent of foreign flowers towards her. Daffodils, she recalled, and daisies. They were simple, beautiful flowers she mused as she descended the stairs to the paths below. Looking at the flowers, her mind was a flurry of thoughts.

She wondered what was happening on the Moon. Was her mother well? Were her friends in danger? Did Gany notice her absence? Thoughts of Elysian also plagued her thoughts. Was the King angry with her? Was Luna ever going to forgive her for her actions that day? How was she going to live without the constant company of the Generals when she returned home?

"Home…." She stopped and looked at the Moon as she had countless times that night.

With her 'imprisonment' within the golden palace of Elysian also came a sense of freedom. Here she was able to do things she'd never experienced before and see things she had only dreamt of seeing. Of course, her vision was limited by high garden walls, but this was better than nothing... On the Moon, life was routine, regular and restricted. Here, it seemed the planet did as it wished with the changing climate throughout the day and the people were open and friendly. Lunarians were friendly of course, but their disposition could be likened to that of reserved nobility.

"Princess," a deep velvety voice startled her.

Turning about, she saw King Endymion standing at the base of the stairs she had descended only moments before.

"Your Majesty," she gave him a questioning, guarded look.

"I—" he held up a bundle, but then stopped, "Your hair…."

"Hmm...?" She took a few of the impossibly long strands of silk in her hands, "What about it?"

"I did not realize it changed as it does," he said quietly.

"Oh that. I am surprised you are noticing that now," she frowned, "How long have I been here in your house? Nearly a month? You really are dense."

He didn't want to admit he had been avoiding her, even though he was supposed to be at her side the majority of the time she spent there, but his pride ensured he continued to hold a grudge against her. So naturally when they did meet for meals, or occasionally bump into each other, he made a point to tease her as often as he could while averting his gaze to maintain the appearance of nonchalance. Things he noticed the first time he saw her weren't forgotten, nor had the strange feelings he felt whenever they danced diminished. This only gave him further cause to avoid her. And yes, he was just now noticing for the first time her hair was a creamy-gold during daylight hours and silver by night.

"I do apologize if my attention towards you is not as apt as you demand. Unfortunately, my priorities keep most of my attention, Princess," he said coolly as he stepped forward and gave her the bundle he was holding, "Go change and meet me out here."

The anger she normally would have felt from his insinuations was smothered by bewilderment. She looked at him with the stark confusion etched upon her face. Change? Unfolding the cloth, she discovered a shirt and pair of breeches inside.

"I placed a pair of boots that should fit you outside your door -- hurry."

Curiosity now overflowing, she quickly walked up the stairs and entered the castle, making her way to her room. Boots, as he had said, were waiting for her. What was going on?

Endymion waited patiently for her to return. Turning, he frowned; it was taking longer than he had wanted it to. But as he was about go and see what was taking her so long, she stepped out into the night, seemingly abashed and confused. He sucked in his breath, as he looked her over.

The pants did fit, probably too well as they clung to her supple legs along with the boots. The white shirt was loose fitting and played in interesting ways in the breeze, teasing his sight with glimpses of soft flesh. He noticed she had put her hair up in an enticingly beautiful bundle of braids and folds upon her head resembling a -- what did they call it -- a twist...? Silver tendrils and curls escaped the interesting ensemble and framed her face. Again, he was caught off guard by her beauty, even though she was dressed in men's clothing.

"What is this about?" She asked him, folding her arms across her chest.

Instead of replying, he walked off into the garden. Serenity took the gesture as a silent beckoning and hurried clumsily to follow him.

* * *

Serenity watched the black body of water move in fear and awe, wind whipping around her, scents assaulting her senses. 

"What is it?" She gasped, for never in her life had she seen something so magnificent, so powerful and wild.

"It is called the ocean," Endymion moved to stand by her, "Of all the forces on my planet, it is one of the most alluring and deadly."

"The ocean," she repeated slowly.

They stood on the white sand with high, dark cliffs at their backs. Endymion had led her to an ivy-covered wall in the garden and she had watched the plants slither away to reveal a small archway set into the thick stone, responding to a mere touch. Once on the other side of the wall, they walked forever, it seemed, down a string of steps carved from the brooding, menacing cliffs on either side looming overhead. The cool, moist stairs ended where fine sand glittered in the sky's silvery light. He had called it, what was it… a beach?

They watched as the waves crashed upon the rocks and lap at the sand for a handful of minutes -- a timeless courtship between the land and ocean.

"Come." Endymion walked back towards the stairs before stopping briefly to pull two glittering objects from the sand.

Turning to face him, she barely caught the sword he had tossed towards her. Puzzled, she looked at the blade -- then back at him. Seeing the apparent confusion in her eyes, he spoke in a low timbre, "I am going to teach you how to fight."

"I don't understand."

"We will be at war soon, I know. Not with each other, but with those who have come for you," he explained calmly, "If I am to protect you, then I must teach you how to fight properly."

She could feel anger flaring up within her veins as she shot him a look that held the promise of death, "Are you saying my mother did no such thing? She is one of the best, I assure you."

"To an extent," Endymion bit back, feeling irritation himself, "Your mother is, indeed, a powerful Ambassador but she was never a Soldier trained in the ways of combat. Queen Selenity relies on her powers to defend the Silver Court, but it is not enough. The enemy will not care if you know how to fence prettily, but will focus purely on the task of ripping off your head." Serenity was about to retort, sending them headlong into yet another argument, but his last statement kept her quiet. "Like I said, if I am to protect you, you must know how to protect yourself first, to fight like a Warrior," he repeated and without warning, lunged at her.

Unprepared, she dodged. Her heart raced as she heard the blade whistle past her ear -- too close, much too close. Finding themselves thrown into her training, they barely noticed the brilliant light that surrounded them as the battle raged on, only aware of a faint tickling sensation that wrapped them in its warmth of protection and love.

* * *

The blanket of night began to fade into shades of purple as the Moon retired towards the horizon over the castle. Exhaustion was setting into Serenity's bones as she and the King plopped down upon the sand to watch the Sun greet their portion of the world. 

"You know," she began, her eyes fixed on the pale horizon slowly beginning to flare with brilliance, "we have seas on the Moon, but they do not move as your ocean does. They are but tranquil pools of water. The Sea of Storms however, does move in likeness when there is a thunderstorm playing about on its surface… but it does not hold any real power, nor does it possess the life I feel coming from the ocean."

Endymion leaned back on his palms; his eyes also watching his solar protector as it illuminated the sky in a brilliant display of color. "The Moon controls it," he said, looking at her, watching the gold he had recently noticed begin to streak through her silver hair from the roots, "Its gravitation pulls at it, creating our tides."

There was another lapse of silence until Serenity drew her knees up under her chin and whispered, "I feel so small next to it…."

He agreed silently by nodding before climbing to his feet, brushing off the sand off his clothes, "Come, you must get back before anyone notices you are gone. They will suspect the worst."

She also stood and brushed the white sand off her rear.

"Keep those away from prying eyes and be prepared to go out after breakfast." He instructed and walked toward the path through the impossible cliffs, "Get as much sleep as you can, breakfast will be delayed today."

His first statement caught her attention more than the latter, "Go out?"

"We see my kingdom today, Princess."

* * *

_AN: Brought to you by the combined editing forces of the wonderful Loki and myself. Hopefully the long awaited chapter 6 will be up in a few days time. Love to all! Let me know what you think!_


	7. No

VI

No

Freya sat amongst a field of flowers with the Moon Palace looming over her in the background. Cerealia and Minerva accompanied her as they talked quietly. Their hands were busy making crowns of flowers and necklaces to match, but their minds were in turmoil. It had nearly a month now and not even the slightest of attempts had been made on Freya's life. The longer this was taking, the terser Venus became because of the ballet she was currently performing.

Looking across the field towards the orchards, she noticed a young boy waving at her. She smiled and waved back vigorously. It was Ganymede, Serenity's friend and of the Guard, but the relationship between the boy and their Princess was special. He also so happened to be someone the Soldier of Venus had to avoid like the plague while disguised as Serenity. He would notice something amiss almost immediately if she did not play her cards right.

The servant boy was only one of several people to steer clear of. The Princess was well loved by all who knew her. Many had watched her grow up, and because Freya had been one of those people and familiar with all Serenity's personality traits, she knew she could easily pick out an imposter at a glance.

So far, if Freya bumped into one of these people, she would have Artemis or one of the girls with her to pull her away quickly. They had been lucky up to this point, but they all felt that their luck was running out.

"I think, if anything is going to happen, you ought to make yourselves scarcer," Freya suggested in Serenity's voice.

Minerva looked at her with intense violet eyes, "I agree, but we are trying to avoid suspicions."

"Yes, however, what happens if Queen Selenity decides it is time for Venus to come back from her 'diplomatic visits' on Saturn?" Cerealia sighed, "The longer we wait, the more we risk."

Freya was once again reminded how much a toll this was taking on everyone, not just herself. Eris was on Saturn with her father, King Vulcan, and they would vouch for Sailor Venus being there. Freya would have to find a way to get there quickly if the Queen were in need of her. It was all so uncertain, and it was beginning to keep her up at night.

"And what of Luna...? Artemis is usually the one to keep Her Majesty's counsel, but what if she should need Luna to leave Saturn as well?" The Princess of Jupiter added.

"We deal with it as best we can. I will paint Artemis black if I have to," the blonde princess stated matter-of-factly. This made her friends laugh.

"I wonder how she is doing," she said smiling genuinely now. Looking up at the blue marble suspended in the cerulean sky, Freya thought of Serenity and began to miss her sorely. It would not be the first time. The two girls sighed and joined her as all three stared up at the Earth.

Happy the day when their Princess would return safely to them.

---

Selenity leaned over her daughter's sleeping form, brushing the hair out of her face. She looked so sad in the faint light the Moon provided this night. Serenity wanted to comfort her mother and assure her everything would be all right, but she couldn't move.

The Queen smiled a heart-breaking smile and kissed her daughter's crescent moon on her forehead. At this gesture, something happened that both alarmed and confused Serenity. She could see a light emanating from both their insignias. It died down as her mother straightened. Everything had returned to normal save a teardrop of light cascading down from the Queen's symbol towards Serenity.

She felt her distress quicken as the object floated down towards her heart. She thought it might land there and burn her. Instead, it only passed through her flesh.

"I feel so warm…." She murmured.

"Well, you should. The sun is up after all and yet you still sleep," a voice said with a hint of mockery.

The vision of her sad mother melted away to reveal the visage of a smug Luna. Looking around, the Princess realized she wasn't on the Moon, but in her bed on Earth. This donated mixed feelings of relief and homesickness, but she brushed them quickly aside along with the bizarre dream. "I was dreaming," she yawned, sitting up in the soft bed.

"Yes, I gathered as much," Luna smiled wryly, "Would you like to know what time it is."

"Not really, but you are going to tell me anyhow."

"It is late in the morn and all the world has joined the day. All the world, that is, except—"

"Me -- yes, I know," Serenity finished, having heard the same speech many times throughout her life. Throwing off the covers, she leapt out of bed and almost regretted it immediately. Her training session with the King the previous night left her body aching all over. Muscles she never knew existed cried out in agony, and she loved every bit of it, surprisingly enough. Stretching, she purred with relief, and for the umpteenth time throughout her life, wondered what it was like to be a Soldier and if her friends felt this whole after a solid workout.

"Get dressed, Serenity. I have your dress laid out on the end of the bed," Luna said while rushing around the room.

"What are you doing?" The Princess asked, noticing a small mountain of luggage stacked beside the doors to her quarters, "What is that for?"

Her guardian added another small box to the pile and gave it all a long, pondering look, all the while running through a mental checklist -- did she forget anything?

"Luna." Serenity prompted.

"Hmm...? Oh, yes. His Majesty informed me early this morning that we were going on a trip to various parts of the countryside. These are the things you are taking with you."

Recollection came to her as she remembered the last thing Endymion said to her last night; they were to be taken on a tour of his kingdom this very day. Serenity gawked, "All of it? Surely some of this is yours!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The Mauian straightened up and sniffled indignantly, "You are the High Princess. I will not have you looking like a fae child, all disheveled and improper."

She rubbed her temples, "Since when was it I last looked like a 'fae child?'"

"Only a week before we came here, dear Princess," Luna answered smugly.

"All right, but surely I do not need all this! I will help you unpack some of it."

Her guardian resigned by allowing a few trunks to be unpacked, but firmly stood her ground on the largest. Serenity let her win and as a concession, even allowed Luna to help her get dressed.

She had picked out a white dress made from a lightweight fabric. It had an empire adorned by a blue ribbon around the torso -- the only other color. Its sleeves came level with the top of the dress to hang off the shoulders in small puffs. At first glance, Serenity thought the hemline of the dress -- both top and bottom -- were trimmed in fine lace, but it was cleverly disguised thus; the seamstresses had cut intricate holes into the breezy fabric and embroidered around these. This was a technique the Princess had never seen before and found herself fascinated by the pretty dress.

Robin's egg blue slippers were to be worn as they matched the color of the ribbon on the dress, and Luna informed her she would be in need of a lacy contraption called a parasol. While Serenity played with it, her guardian put her hair up and adorned it with ribbons. After her hair was done, she began to place a weird contraption upon the Princess' head.

"What is that?" Serenity asked curiously, closing the parasol.

"Is it not obvious? This, my dear, is a hat." Luna replied.

"But what is it?"

The feline woman rolled her eyes, "It is to be worn on a head. Let me show you."

She was skeptical, but the instant it was fastened beneath her pretty chin, her opinion of it had been formed, "Take it off."

"What?"

"I said take it off. It looks ridiculous."

Luna placed her hands upon her waist, "It does not. Many distinguished Earth women wear these. It will also keep the sun off your face while you cannot use the parasol."

_Is that what this is for…? _Serenity thought to herself, giving it another experimental flap open. "Take it off."

Luna sighed as she did so.

After a few servants entered the room to retrieve the chest -- along with Luna's much smaller one -- they made their way down to the grand hall. Endymion was waiting at the head of the massive table with breakfast. Much to Serenity's dismay, her guardian excused herself and left them alone.

Still a little wary, she walked towards him and sat next to his grand chair. Only then did he sit and start eating, which for some reason she appreciated even though it was an act of obligatory courtesy on his part. Silence accompanied them as they ate, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

He didn't seem to be bothered by it, but she was, so she spoke up, "I thank you for letting me sleep in today."

A knowing leer spread quickly across his face, "Sore at all?"

Her face warmed considerably, "No."

"Liar," he said nonchalantly before taking a drink from his glass.

She didn't dispute his claim. The last thing she wanted to do was fight with him today, especially as he was somewhat friendly to her last night. Serenity had to admit that arguing with him was fun, but the excitement of seeing the kingdom kept those fires down to a low roar; that and the fact they were completely alone in the dining hall -- this in itself was unsettling enough.

"How long will we be gone?" She asked.

"Four days at least," he replied, "Our party will be kept small. It should keep our pace steady, considering."

"Considering?"

"Yes, considering the carriage Lady Luna and you will be riding in for most of the trip. It will meet us down at the port. I had figured you would want to see portions of my city first before we travel any further."

"Oh?" The excitement was churning in her stomach now. She was finally going to see the grand city of Elysian! But what was a carriage and where exactly were they traveling to?

The King noticed the look of concern on her face and gave her a sardonic smile, "Do not worry your pretty head any, Majesty. Your tender feet will be safe from walking long distances. We will see the city on horseback."

Her temper flared at his insinuations, "That was not what I was thinking! You cannot go five minutes without turning into a complete cad, can you? It is utterly beyond your capabilities as a person!"

Seeing a golden opportunity to come out on top and goad her more, Endymion purred a low, velvety laugh as he took one of her hands in his -- rubbing his thumb across the top of her soft hand, he gave her a predatory smile as he leaned in closely, "What of your ball, Serenity? I was a complete gentleman then, was I not? I remember you being _very_ impressed."

In a most unflattering way, her jaw dropped as her face went flaming red. She was speechless. Was this an attempt to seduce her? Surely not! No one had ever tried to seduce her before, so how was she to know? Nevertheless, the way she was reacting to this volatile change in his personality was all wrong! She felt as if she had contracted some kind of sickness as her stomach performed a series of nauseating summersaults, her knees felt something akin to pudding, and her heart was hammering against her chest.

_Say something, Serenity!_ she yelled inwardly. Quickly regaining her composure, she abruptly withdrew her hand, slamming her gaze down to her plate. "Only because you opened your mouth but a few times – if you had spoken more, I would have seen you for the monster you truly are then and there!" she retorted angrily, all while feeling strangely lightheaded.

The King burst into a torrent of laughter that echoed throughout the dining hall for all who might have been present to hear. She wished he would shut up or choke on his food. However, as she watched him from beneath her lashes, her heart sang. She ignored it and pretended to eat as his merriment died down.

Silence again filled the space between them. Serenity sat quietly, trying to control her emotions. Endymion continued to break his fast with a triumphant gleam in his eye.

Slowly, something came to her attention. "Your Majesty," she said, "What is a horse?"

Never before had she been more terrified in her life, "No."

"What?" Endymion asked, perplexed.

"No." She said again, almost mechanically.

He didn't remember asking her a question, but giving her the once over, he understood. She was as stiff as a board, her knuckles white as she held the handle of her parasol in a death grip, her eyes were larger than usual, and she was pressing her full, pink lips into a thin line.

They were standing outside the royal stables. He had given instructions that the women's things were to be loaded onto the carriage. It then would leave for port and wait for them there. Nephrite and Zoicite were going to be traveling with them as well, but the men would simply have their belongings stored in their saddlebags.

The King then gave orders for the five horses saddled earlier to be brought out of the stables. During the late breakfast, Serenity had mentioned she didn't know what a horse was. This presented a problem. Of course, in all of his delegations on the Moon it was rare to see a horse, as they were not indigenous to the Silver Kingdom. He simply hadn't counted on a princess not knowing how to ride. It was almost a prerequisite.

Once they had brought out the magnificent beasts, Serenity seized up and began her protesting. Endymion supposed that if someone wasn't used to the creatures, they could seem frightening. In fact, he knew of people who were accustomed to horses and still were scared witless of them. Again, he simply hadn't counted on Serenity's apparent horror.

"It is only a horse, Princess." He smirked.

"I know. You told me, and no."

"You keep saying that, but it may become one of the greatest joys in your life."

She swallowed, "If I should live past this day."

Endymion's first reaction was to laugh at her, but he felt that it would be the cad's thing to do at that moment. He would just have to teach her, but this might now mean that they would be traveling through the night to arrive on time….

"No."

He sighed. As he was sorting out the problem in his head, she had regressed back to her monosyllabic refrain.

"It is not all that bad, Serenity." Luna said, coming up beside them.

"You know how to ride, Luna?" The Princess would have looked at her in bewilderment, that is, if her eyes weren't so inexplicably glued to the horses.

"It has been a while, but yes. On Jupiter, they pride themselves on their equines, so you are almost constantly on horseback there. I cannot say that it is the most comfortable thing with a tail and all."

"Yes, they have many a fine beast there. In fact, I received Loki from their Majesties, Zeus and Hera quite some time ago," Endymion stated, pointing to a massive black stallion, who was obviously agitated at being handled by someone other than the King. Once more, Serenity swallowed audibly.

"Serenity, it is all in how you talk to the horse," Nephrite stated.

"Talk to it? Do they talk?" she asked, feeling a little more at ease if she could only find a link of communication with the animal.

Endymion laughed, "No. By talking, he means your posture, tone of voice, and on how you handle it. They are intelligent, free-spirited animals and they know when you mean disrespect or if you are frightened by them, this in turn makes them nervous."

"Oh."

"Here, let me show you," he firmly placed his hand at the small of her back and nearly had to shove her towards the animals.

Waving one of the stable boys over, he singled out a gentle, sway-backed mare that he had already intended for Serenity, thankfully enough. He told the boy to stop when he neared them. The King's hand remained steadfast on her person, even as Serenity tried to back up, "Kyle, do you have any treats on you?"

"Yes, your Majesty. Sugar cubes," the boy answered.

Endymion somehow got Serenity to promise she wouldn't move as he left her side to stand by the mare. Taking a few of the boy's cubes in his hand, he began to feed them to the animal. Serenity thought it was trying to eat him.

Again, he chuckled when she told him this, "Why don't you come over here?"

It took a full ten minutes for her to actually approach the mare, and even when she did, she stayed a good four feet away. Miraculously enough, he coaxed the Princess into feeding a few sugar cubes to the horse.

Serenity heard herself giggling as the strange animal licked the palm of her hand. Slowly, she began to sway towards the mare, closing the distance between them. Looking into its eyes, she saw the gleam of intelligence and the quiet prowess spoken of earlier. Endymion instructed her on how to pet her muzzle, which she found felt like velvet.

Twenty minutes they stayed like that, Serenity slowly coming to grips with this animal that was winning her over. She could feel the horse's own curiosity about her as she became better acquainted with it. Endymion told her the name of the fascinating creature, and she reveled in the sound of Sable's name when she said it for the first time. He was proud of her the way she reacted when Sable had startled her by whinnying softly and she stood her ground.

Placing her hands on Sable's muzzle, she laid her head against her neck and smiled, "Sable, I think I like you."

The horse nickered in approval.

Endymion once more found himself impressed with Serenity's attitude towards Sable. Normally, it took people years to overcome their fear of horses, if ever. She had done this in a mere half hour. Of course, she lost her cool once more after he told her it was time to mount, but progress had been made.

Luna helped her with the basics, and between them, they gave her the best riding lesson possible over a forty-minute period.

"And if you feel you need to get off, or if you start to get nervous, just tell me and we will stop," Endymion assured her, "I will be right along side you all the while."

Looking down at him from her high perch, she could see that he meant it, but she was already nervous. She didn't want to let him know that though. His sincerity throughout the lesson made the experience run smoothly and she felt almost as if she could call him friend.

"Okay," she nodded.

By this time, the others had mounted and finally they were off to see the grand city of Elysian.


	8. The Mist

VII

The Mist

Serenity decided she didn't like carriages -- they were somewhat bumpy and boring really. Was she supposed to sit in this thing with Luna until they arrived at wherever it was they were headed? The worst part yet was the fact her guardian had brought along a few books to go over Serenity's studies. Who would do such a thing?

So, instead of listening to such drabble, the Princess thought of earlier in the day when they had traveled through Elysian….

---

Once they left the golden gates of the palace well behind them, the city spanned out gloriously before them. She could see far beyond the rooftops of the vibrant buildings, all mostly the same colorful shade of beautiful sand. If only she could see what the city looked like in the golden light of dawn… she imagined it would look spectacular indeed; a very magnificent contrast to the silver cities on the Moon…. Out to the left, over a distance, she had seen the port where many ships were speckled generously upon the blue waters. It was here where the dreaded carriage waited for them….

The men informed the women about city around them; the history of a particular building, or where to find the best food and ale. Their pride was evident as they talked about their fair, glistening city. This adoration was especially apparent in Endymion's eyes, Serenity had noticed. She didn't doubt for one second that he would die to save Earth… and for the first time in weeks, she remembered what he was putting on the line to keep her safe. Something else Serenity had noticed was Endymion, Nephrite, and Zoicite were constantly checking her riding progress, keeping close to her in case of an emergency; she was extremely grateful for their concern.

Luna, unfortunately, was also kind enough to point out to Serenity all the different hats the local women were wearing. Serenity ignored her. But the people of Earth came as somewhat of a shock to the Moon Princess. They were so diverse and colorful.

The Elysian's clothing mainly consisted of rich, vibrant earthy tones that reflected their surroundings. Zoicite went into great detail about how travelers could be easily spotted by the colors popping out from amidst the sea of locals; it seemed the cultures of Earth's people were every bit assorted as their habitats. She remembered Talaria, Princess of Mercury, explaining much of this diversity to Serenity during her studies, which struck her as rather strange. On the Moon, the same fashions could be seen throughout the entire kingdom. Sure, there were small, intricate differences to denote the region the person hailed from, but nothing as varied as what Serenity observed among the Earthlings.

The people of Elysian were also extremely friendly; they smiled at them as they rode by, or as they moved throughout the harbor on foot. A child had even come up to Serenity, tugging on the fabric of the Princess' dress. When Serenity bent down to see what the angel wanted, the girl handed her a beautiful flower, kissed her cheek, and ran off into the crowd.

Straightening, she gave Endymion a perplexed look. He shook his head and just smiled. Nephrite took the white flower from her hand, placing it behind her ear. "There… much better."

"It is a chrysanthemum," Zoicite explained.

"Why did she give it to me?" Serenity asked.

"A lot of people still recognize us, even in clothes such as these. But it has become an unspoken rule that our identities are not to be spoken aloud whenever we venture out like this. Most can remember times of war…."

It was true, they were all dressed in nondescript attire; the men wore nothing indicating their stations, but when they were as handsome as they were, Serenity could see how their faces would be hard to forget. As for people recognizing her, no one here on Earth would have ever seen her before, but the Moon insignia would have given them no doubt as to who she was. So, before they left the palace gates, Endymion asked Serenity if both she and Luna could somehow hide the symbols on their foreheads. That explained why he was staring at her as they rode through the palace courtyard, making her uncomfortable.

Luna assured him they could and closed her eyes. Suddenly, it was as if someone had wiped it off her forehead -- it was gone. Serenity never knew this was possible. Since the day she was born, her crescent moon symbol had always been there; a mark of royalty.

"Just imagine it gone, Serenity," Luna had explained. She looked weird without the moon upon her brow, the Princess thought.

It took her a few attempts, but she finally got it right; then began the feeling of being naked. Strangely enough, it also made her miss her mother. It felt almost like she was giving up being a princess. This had led to another thought though. She looked like an Earth girl; a normal teenage girl without the pressures of royal duties or threats against her life. With this new outlook, a great weight was lifted from her shoulders and she felt free! Even if she still missed her mother….

"Yes, the citizens of Elysian are a very benevolent people," Nephrite agreed with his comrade, "They probably think you a noble of Earth."

She remembered becoming aware of Endymion moving close to her then, speaking quietly into her ear, "They probably all think you my current interest."

"Interest…?" she asked innocently, but gathered his meaning by the look in his eye and yelped, "What?"

Luna jumped at the sudden outburst as Endymion walked away laughing. Something had just transpired between her Princess and the King and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. The two of them seemed caught up in an on-going rivalry, each constantly goading the other. It was exhausting to say the least, so she simply turned her attention to some fruit on sale close by.

"As if I would ever—" Serenity protested hotly, her displeasure evident as her persistent grumbling to herself continued for a long while afterwards. But the sights and sounds of the bustling city soon brought her round, firing up her intense curiosity once again. But all in all – at least up to this point -- it was a marvelous day. Luna droning on about Lunarian history and the monotonous rolling countryside that only held Serenity's interest for the first hour was wearing down her enthusiasm as a whole. Sleep was gradually setting in, so she propped her heavy head against her open hand, elbow resting against the side of the rocking carriage-- her long fingers coming into contact with velvet. Sitting up, she pulled the chrysanthemum from her golden hair.

It was a beautiful flower -- one she had never seen before as they did not grow on the Moon. Sterling white petals seemed to endlessly fold into one another and danced elegantly as she slowly twirled it within her fingertips. It was a hypnotic motion… as if it were eternity unfolding before her blue eyes….

_Laila…_

Luna's teachings steadily became silent, and if Serenity had looked up, she would have noticed her guardian's lips were still moving as Luna read from a book….

_Laila…_

The crunch of the gravel road beneath the wheels of the heavy carriage fell deafly upon her ears and the world ceased to make any sound.

_Laila…_

Faster and faster the chrysanthemum spun, pulling her further into a world unknown. Faster and faster its petals unfurled, consuming her entire line of sight, blinding her with an intense white light… even when her eyes closed to it.

_Laila_…

'Where am I?'

_Laila to waylay…_

'Who sings this lullaby?' Serenity asked, her voice sounding far and distant. Opening her eyes, she saw nothing in the mist. 'Who sings this, what was whispered into my ear on that night not long ago?'

Slowly, a gray form emerged from the cover of the fog. Serenity tried to discern who this figure was, but the stranger gave nothing away. She could barely make out the outline of a woman who bore a featureless mask of ivory.

An alarming thought crossed Serenity's mind as she realized she had been bewitched and brought to this unnatural place. She spoke in a quiet, wavering voice, 'Are you the one sent to kill me?'

_Seye ni ruoy with…_

The stranger laughed a soft, kind laugh, 'No, dear Princess. Nor am I the one who calls for you.'

'Then who does? And why have you beckoned me here?'

'I am a friend of Fate who has come to deliver a warning.'

'Of what nature...?'

_Laila tu waylay…_

The figure ignored her inquiry, 'She will come at you from the darkness. Let your guard waver not, Angel, for she means to destroy everything and everyone you hold dear.'

'Who...? Who is it that means to kill me?' Serenity pleaded, heart racing in fright. 'How is it that I am to save those I love? I am no one!'

_Seye ni ruoy with…_

The mist began to swirl and thicken as the messenger began to retreat, singing softly the words that called out to the Princess.

'No! Do not leave me here! Tell me what I must do!'

_Laila tu waylay…_

The mystery woman faded into nothing, but another figure became present. It was nothing more than a silhouette, but this person struck pure terror into Serenity, leaving her speechless. They were proudly standing, it seemed, up high on a plateau where a nonexistent wind whipped around them.

_Seye ni ruoy with…_

So strong was their stance that Serenity believed that even the strongest of forces could not move them. The person's long hair flew in the wind, giving the impression of shadowy fingers reaching for her. Then it dawned on the petrified princess: this woman was the one who sang inside her head on her birthday and who sang to her now.

_Lemura cesa tu lyn…!_

The deadly wind surrounding the figure came crashing into the Moon Princess, causing her to scream in pain as it seared her skin.

A nasty bump from the road woke Serenity with a start. A cold sweat covered her porcelain skin as she frantically groped for the carriage walls in an unconscious attempt to stop the feeling that she'd been falling into a deep void. Panting, a mist rolled over her mind as it often does when one wakes from a dream, mottling the details. Before her remembrance was completely stolen from her, a voice whispered to her from the deep recesses of her mind, _'Angel… find me… save the galaxy...'_

"Serenity…what is it?" Luna set the book down, clearly worried.

"I need to get out…" She breathed, clutching the rocking seat. In doing so, she crushed something in her grasp; looking at her hand, she saw the chrysanthemum and threw it to the carpeted floor as if it had scorched her palm.

The guardian quickly took the seat next to her princess, wrapping Serenity in her arms, "Stop the carriage!"

The party came to a slow halt, and shortly thereafter, the door to their small mobile quarters flew open. The sunlight blinded the women and a worried face greeted them, "Is everything all right?"

"Serenity is not feeling well," Luna explained in near panic.

Serenity smiled meekly at Nephrite, the one who had opened the side door, "I—I am fine. I only need to be out in the sun."

Looking over his shoulder, she saw King Endymion and Zoicite riding up to the carriage, clearly concerned. "What happened?" Endymion asked gruffly.

"Nothing, nothing…."

Nephrite offered her his hand, "Come. Let us get you some air."

She gratefully allowed him to help her out of the contraption. "Thank you."

Endymion looked on as his General helped the Princess down. His brow furrowed as he saw the state Serenity was in: her skin was a ghostly white with shadows evident under her anxious, blue eyes. He even went so far as to frown when he witnessed the blatant hesitation she displayed when letting go of Nephrite's hand as he assisted Luna out of the carriage as well.

When the young King spoke, his voice was harsher than he expected, "We will break for lunch."

---

"Is he mad at me?" Serenity asked while nibbling on some cheese.

Luna turned to look at Endymion; He was standing atop a small hill at least twenty feet away with his back turned to them. Serenity and Luna were the only ones sitting upon the small blanket and the Princess didn't like that one bit. In her opinion, everyone should be sitting with them, but Nephrite had informed Endymion that there were tasks to be completed even while they were stopped. The footmen were either tending to the horses, or watching the horizon for any signs of trouble. She wasn't sure what Zoicite was doing, but Serenity felt guilty sitting there doing nothing…. It was as if she was back home being pampered once more.

"No, I do not suspect he is," Luna answered, "Should he be?"

The Princess didn't take her eyes off him. "I do not know. I suppose he does not appreciate stopping like this… but—"

"You cannot help it," Her guardian interrupted then said softly, "Are you feeling at all better?"

"Yes, thank you."

The feline woman looked her ward over carefully, not overly convinced that what Serenity had experienced was nothing more than motion sickness, as the girl had said as much. The Moon Princess was downplaying what had really happened in the carriage, but Luna decided to give Serenity her space -- for now.

"You do not think he sounded terse with me earlier?" Serenity piped up again.

Luna sighed.

---

Endymion heard someone walk up behind him. "Well?"

Nephrite looked out past his King and surveyed the land as the Sun dipped further towards the horizon, "Everything seems to be well. I suspect the main road is being trafficked plenty though."

"Mm…."

Another pair of boots was heard approaching as Zoicite joined the two men. The scholar stood by Endymion, offering him an object, "I found this."

The monarch took it, inspecting it carefully. Nephrite moved closer to see, "The chrysanthemum Serenity was wearing."

"Yes, it has been crushed," Zoicite offered, "It was the only oddity in the carriage I could find."

"Have Samuel ride ahead to tell Matthias of our late arrival," Endymion instructed as he tossed the ruined flower to the ground.

The blonde General nodded in the slightest degree and went to find the footman.

"What do you think ails her?" Nephrite asked in a quiet voice, "She was so pale…."

"I don't know, but I imagine she will tell us more when she is ready. We must be on our way," Endymion stated before walking off towards the picnic blanket. He noticed Luna packing everything up, "Where did she go?"

"Hmm…?" The guardian advisor stood, brushing some hair out of her face, "Serenity? Oh, she said she needed to do something…."

Nephrite joined them, but his attention was drawn to the carriage, "What's she doing?"

They turned to see Serenity climbing up the back of the carriage to where a coachmen would normally sit, her destination obviously the topmost chest filled with her clothing. In a panic, they ran forward, afraid that if she made the slightest move in the wrong way, the Princess would take a nasty tumble.

"What are you doing up there, you stupid girl?" Luna shrieked, arms open as if to catch her.

Endymion tried not to laugh at the remark and said dryly, "Serenity, come down before you crack your stupid head open."

He was rewarded with a smack on the arm from the girl's guardian, "You are not helping!"

The blonde popped open the coffer, her entire upper body disappearing inside, digging around for something, "I refuse!"

"What is she doing?" Zoicite asked, joining the others.

"I absolutely refuse!"

Endymion shrugged, "You know as much as we do."

"Serenity, please come down. If you are looking for something in particular, let one of us get it for you," Nephrite offered.

"—refuse! I will not allow it!" The princess muttered to herself, searching frantically.

"She's lost it."

"Endymion...!" Luna huffed, tears welling up in her eyes, "What if she has another dizzy spell? She could hit her head on a rock!"

The King sighed. Fun over. "I will go after her."

"I found it!" The princess exclaimed, startling all of them. She came out of the box and waved a bundle over her head in triumph, causing her to slip a couple of inches.

The group down below gasped and rushed forward as a whole unit, all arms outstretched towards the girl.

"Serenity, come down at once!" Luna demanded shrilly.

Ignoring her guardian, she closed the trunk and began her descent. Once her slippers touched the grass, she turned on all of them -- fire in her eyes. "I refuse to be coddled! And I most definitely will not be riding in this thing again!" She flung her arm back, indicating the carriage. No one said a word as she climbed into the subject of her discontent, but not before hesitating, and slammed the door behind her all the while grumbling incoherently to herself.

Zoicite spoke first, "Does anyone know what's going on?"

The men shook their heads 'no' and Luna knocked on the side door softly as the coach started to shake, "Serenity?"

"Don't come in here!"

The guardian jumped back, startled, "Oh my…."

A few moments went by and they waited. Suddenly the door opened again and Serenity stepped out. Endymion almost dropped dead. She was wearing the trousers, boots, and shirt he gave her the night before. Didn't he tell her to keep those clothes a secret?

"I'll walk if I have to!" She cried stubbornly.

Luna's shock wore off as she took in the appearance of her Princess, "Where did you get those clothes from?"

The King winced. His life was hanging in the balance now. If Luna found out he was teaching Serenity how to fight, he wouldn't live long enough to see his trial. No, she would flog him here and now. To death. No Warrior's demise for him. Just pain and humiliation.

Serenity shrugged, "I found them and they are comfortable, so what does it matter?"

Luna would have begun to bellow the proprieties that a young woman should perform, but the huge breath she had taken came out as somewhat of a yelp when Serenity turned to start climbing the carriage, her previous outfit in hand.

Endymion caught her arm, pulling her down to earth. "Let someone else do that."

Zoicite gratefully stepped forward, took the bundle from the girl and began the ascent.

Serenity crossed her arms defiantly, "Well?"

Shaking his head, Endymion put an arm around the girl's shoulders and had her walk with him towards the road, "Let me show you something, Princess."

They stood at the cusp of a downhill slope where they were able to survey the landscape for miles. In the distance, past the rolling fields speckled with trees was a vast dark mass that overtook an unbelievable portion of land.

With his arm still draped across her shoulders, the King pointed towards the shadowy landmass with his free hand, "That is our destination. You are telling me that you will walk that distance even when nightfall is almost upon us? Because you see, we do not have any spare horses for you to ride."

She swallowed. It seemed such an impossible distance away, but she was determined not to be enclosed within the carriage's darkness again. The last thing she wanted was to experience another nightmare….

"I can do it," she stated simply, head held high.

Endymion smiled down at her and nearly laughed, but Nephrite interrupted him kindly saying, "She can ride with me, Endymion."

Involuntarily, his grip on her tightened as he answered, "She shall ride with me."

Serenity quietly squeaked in shock and her face went aflame. She started to say that she'd rather ride with Nephrite, but the King began to lead her towards the horses before she could make any such protests, "We have dallied too long. We must depart now."

They soon stood by Loki, his steed, and Serenity's back slammed into Endymion's iron-hard chest as she jumped backwards. Not only was the horse's back taller than her, it was just shy an inch of the king's head. This thing was colossal!

"There is only one saddle," she stated, shoving herself further into Endymion, "And it is not a woman's."

He inhaled sharply, placed his hands on her shoulders, and dislodged her backside from his person. If only she had any inkling of what she looked like dressed in men's clothing... Bending down, he whispered in her ear while slowly sliding his hands down to her supple hips, taking note of how they fit perfectly into his hands, "What did you expect?"

And without warning, he hoisted her up into the leather saddle. He laughed at her scared-witless expression as he swung himself up behind her, "You'll just have to ride like the rest of us."

Looking over his shoulder, he merrily bellowed out orders, "We are expected elsewhere gentlemen. Let us be on our way!"

Everyone had mounted and was ready to go except for Luna and Zoicite. He was practically shoving her into the carriage while she was looking at Endymion with bloodlust. Their caravan lurched forward slowly and began to move at a steady pace. Only the sound of the horses' hooves on the dirt road and creaking wheels of the carriage could be heard. It was somewhat of an uncomfortable silence as Serenity sat stiff as a board in front of Endymion. She tried to scoot as far forward as possible in the saddle as he made sure their legs pressed up against one another, purely to aggravate her. This didn't go unnoticed by his two Generals. Their King had a somewhat peculiar look on his face-- malicious merriment with a hint of bewilderment. Regardless what he was thinking, he was playing with fire.

A few terse moments ticked on by before Serenity snapped, "Do you have to sit so closely?"

He smiled gleefully while leaning forward and said in a low voice, "You were the one who wanted out of the carriage. Should we stop, Princess?"

Her ears were ringing. She'd never been this close to a man before and it was terrifying her. It didn't help that he was probably the most handsome man in the galaxy either. All the present factors — the way he smelled, brushing up against her constantly, and whispering in her hyper-sensitive ear — were sending her into a tizzy. However, what really affected her most was what he had just said. It sounded almost as if it had a double meaning, as if he was asking her something more. God help her, it sounded as if he wanted her permission to continue seducing her! This was the second time that day he had insinuated he was doing just that, the first being at breakfast.

She shivered noticeably and started to say yes she wanted to stop, but her throat seized up. So she coughed instead. He laughed quietly and settled back into the saddle so that he wasn't pressing against her quite so much. Once again all talking had ceased, however, this time the two of them only heard the hammering of their hearts and the blood rushing in their ears.

Endymion reigned in his thoughts. What he was doing was wrong. Serenity was High Princess and was his guest. It was his job to shelter her while the Soldiers sought the betrayer on the Moon, not to take advantage of her. He frowned. No, that's not what he was trying to do. Regardless of how many women he had wooed in the past, he was never boorish about it. As his thoughts deepened, he realized that he, in fact, didn't know what he was doing.

Over the past month, his opinion of Serenity had changed so drastically that it was hard to keep his head straight. When he first met her, he was taken by her beauty and kindheartedness. Then after he had brought her to Elysian, he was irritated with her haughtiness, regardless of the fact she had no say in anything that was happening to her and probably doing her best to deal with it. And as time went by, his Generals' constant talk of her wonderfulness began to pique his curiosity in her once again. This had annoyed him. His best friends knew more about this angel than he, and wasn't it he who was so captivated by her in the first place? Wasn't it he who had felt that fierce protectiveness when he watched her slumber the night of her birthday? What was he doing with Serenity?

"Why are you not riding in the carriage?" Endymion asked quietly.

Serenity thought about it and then, just as softly, said, "All my life I was treated as if I were made of glass. Here on Earth I am treated as a person, not a doll. The way you all were fussing over me today… I refuse to let it go back to the way it was…." And with that said, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. As she released all the tension that had built up after her vision, the day caught up with her and sleep was inevitable. Endymion looked down in surprise as the Princess slumped back into his chest and the security of his arms, clearly sound asleep. A wondering smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He shifted her position slightly, afraid to cause her discomfort, and then slipped an arm loosely around her waist. Indeed, what was he doing with Serenity?


	9. The Vision

VIII

The Vision

Nostalgia wasn't a word Minerva would use whenever she visited home. Displacement was more fitting. The Martian princess arrived on the red planet early in the morning. In the transportation antechamber of castle Phobos Deimos, Sailor Mars was met by three women, whom she had been longing to see for quite some time as the life-long duty of protecting Serenity kept Minerva on the Moon most of the time.

"Your Majesty," the women bowed.

"Duchesses, Commander," she received them.

The woman who wore a uniform that was a cross between a tunic and armor smiled at her, "They had told us you would be visiting soon, Princess."

If she had to choose, Sailor Mars would have given two names when asked 'Who have you looked up to in your life?' First, she would have named the late Queen Morrigan, her mother. The second person was the woman who led her father's armies and one of the women who greeted her now, Athena. Her mother had died when she was young, but the Soldier remembered Morrigan's quiet strength and tenderness towards those she loved. She also recalled Athena teaching her the most important lesson she would ever learn in her lifetime.

Minerva laughed slightly, "I imagine they knew of this long before I had arranged to visit."

Each Soldier in the Guard was unique indeed. Something special about each woman set them apart from their comrades and brought a different strength to the team. Mercury had her genius, Jupiter her might, and Venus her charms. Mars had something else entirely. She had the Sight as did her mother and her mother before that.

Morrigan had foreseen what her daughter would become, and knew Minerva would possess the most powerful manifestation of the Sight in their bloodline. She was also aware her own life would be short, so when the Martian princess was born, Seers across the universe came to greet the new clairvoyant and offer their assistance to teach her as she grew. When two twin girls no more than eight walked up to Queen Morrigan, the infant in her arms began to squeal with delight. It was decided the twins, Phobos and Deimos would instruct Princess Minerva on how to control her awesome powers. Morrigan had not perceived that her daughter's protectors would bear the same names as those of the castle and Mars' moons, but being a Seer herself, she understood this to be destiny. These twins were the ones Athena and Minerva were speaking of and the other two women who had come to greet their princess.

"Welcome home, Princess," Phobos smiled, her cobalt eyes twinkling.

Deimos asked in the same kind tone, "Shall we help you prepare?"

Minerva nodded. Though she hadn't specified her reasons for visiting home, it did not surprise her that the twins knew exactly what it was she wanted to accomplish on Mars.

"Let us get this underway," Sailor Mars ordered.

The four left the room where travel between the planets was made possible for all peoples. Being who she was, a Soldier could 'fly' anywhere she wanted to without such accommodations, but it was courteous to do so.

They wasted no time, walking through the intricate terracotta colored corridors of the castle coming upon a torrent of stairs. As the princess and her entourage climbed them, Minerva let her gloved hand reach out and touch the smooth, cream and brick red walls of the spiraling stairwell-- something she had done ever since a child whenever she needed to walk this path. Up and up they went until they reached the top of the stairs and one of the highest points of the palace. They were greeted by an elaborate archway that led outdoors. Stepping out into the day, they had arrived at the center of castle Phobos Deimos. They now stood on a rather large plateau, which in fact was the palace rooftop, but a visitor would have never guessed it to be. It was covered in the deep green grasses indigenous to the planet and several tall trees with thick, sienna trunks. Birds chirped happily and a few man-made streams could be heard as they trickled over rock and stone. Removing all footwear, they continued their journey.

Minerva always thought this place to be one of the most magical in the entire galaxy. Even now as a grown woman, it still held that mystique, and she relished in hidden child-like delight at the feel of the grass between her toes as they walked across the mesa to find additional flights of red, earthen stairs. These led to their destination as it sat upon the vast four-sided staircase: the sacred shrine of Mars, Temple of Sibyl.

Phobos and Deimos in a somewhat ceremonial fashion, opened the doors to the temple acting in their capacity as shrine maidens while their princess was away. All walked into the preparation chamber of the ancient, ivy covered sanctuary. Without turning to face Athena, Minerva spoke, "Inform my father that I will visit him later. Tell him nothing pertaining to my visit to this sacred place."

She did not explain why discretion was paramount, but she knew the commander would understand. Before the warrior woman took her leave she bowed, "It is good to have you home, Minerva."

Sailor Mars closed her eyes when she heard the doors slide shut behind Athena. With a mere thought, the Soldier uniform faded away from her body and she was left standing naked. With this, the purification ritual began. Frankincense was burned and as she was bathed in sweet smelling water, the princess watched the smoke rise up through the open roof. Next, the twins anointed her in oils before she lay upon the stone table to be brushed with smoldering palm leaves as her protectors' quiet chanting filled the air.

Minerva's mind drifted aimlessly as she allowed all impurities to lift from both her physical form and spirit. She thought upon Freya the other night, taking her aside in Serenity's room to speak in private. "I need you to consult the Fires, Mars," she had said in Serenity's voice and with Serenity's lips, "It will leave me a little less guarded and hopefully it will also prove very useful to our investigation."

As Phobos and Deimos dressed their princess in ceremonial robes, she thought upon the moment she found out she was to be Sailor Mars. Her mother smiled sadly with the knowledge of it clearly showing in her eyes. King Ares, her proud father smiled and boasted that greatness awaited his daughter. And when she was three, Serenity was born. The young Seer was ready for her life on the Moon where she would be trained to become a fierce Soldier. However, before she was escorted from home, the sixteen-year-old Commander Athena took Minerva aside and told her the most important thing she would ever learn. She said as she held Minerva's tiny hands in her own, "Love her, Princess Minerva. If you do not, then it is all for naught."

Phobos and Deimos demurely knelt upon the ground and opened the doors that led to the innermost prayer chamber, where only those of the bloodline of the late queen could tread any further. Taking diffident steps, the only kind possible in the layers of silk she now wore, she entered the hall, allowing the doors to slide shut behind her. The Seer walked the length of the smoldering, dark room with little fires placed in braziers along the walls of the carpeted walkway; at the end of the causeway was the altar where she would kneel and See into the roaring Sacred Flames.

I do love Serenity, the princess thought as she knelt. It was the tie bound that the entire Guard -- Inner and Outer -- together. Sure, it was their life purpose to protect the Moon Princess, but once they had laid eyes upon the squirming infant all those years ago… it was destiny. Love at first sight, they joked often when they were alone. It was this adoration that made their duty far more amiable and imperative. She was their friend, their Princess, their little one…. If anything could help her keep Serenity safe, it was the Sacred Flame.

Legend had it that in the Beginning, the spirit of the planet Mars took the form of a phoenix. It soared over the newly created Martian lands, helping life spring forth and as it descended back into the core of the star, it burned with such intensity it scorched the earth where it fell. From the blaze, a woman was born who was to guard and use the Sacred Flames to help mankind. It was said that woman was Minerva's ancestor and the inferno within the temple was the very blaze left behind by the phoenix.

The princess saw the fire even as she closed her eyes. It reached out to her, crackled and popped, asking her the same question it would ask for all time: _What is it you seek, beautiful child of fire?_

Minerva began the mantra that would evoke and soon paint their elemental silhouettes before her:

"Oh Sacred Fire,

Answers of Time is what I require.

I seek the knowledge,

Of Wind, Fire, Water and Earth.

I ask your help, by rite of birth: Show me those who would do harm."

Sweat began to mix with the fragrant oils that slicked her skin as she slipped into a trance, her voice becoming thick, "Wind. Fire. Water. Earth." Repeatedly she spoke the names of the spirits, which would give her the answers she sought, calling them to reveal the danger facing Serenity. Time slipped by the priestess of flame unnoticed as it melted into oblivion and ceased to be. For Minerva, only the fire and she existed in this universe. This was the calming peace that absolute power brought to the one who controlled it.

"Wind. Fire. Water. Earth," she felt her awareness stretch past her body, through the castle, beyond the sky and out over the galaxy as it settled itself like a net waiting to pull in any information the fates might provide. Only this state of unresisting openness would allow her to receive the Vision, leaving her vulnerable. The princess felt the pulse of the stars reverberating throughout her body like beacons of hope. She also felt the pinpricks of concentrated powers caused by those possessing potent star seeds like her own. Two in particular caught her attention for they shone brighter than any in her celestial. Curious, she narrowed her vision around them and watched with fascination as these immense powers played with one another, testing the other's boundaries. They seemed to be longing in their dance. For what, Minerva wasn't sure, but the magnitude of these presences was colossal.

Yet again, she pulled the net tighter. Who were these two beings? Recognition hit her as she realized one of them was Endymion's aura. But who was this other entity? Only Queen Selenity's power could match his in this day and era….

As she concentrated to learn the identity of the second power, she felt a great strain so she pushed harder. In retaliation, the light pulsed gently and pushed her awareness away. The anxiety she might have felt from this normally was soothed by the light as it retreated with a sigh and began to coax Endymion's golden light once again.

Minerva conceded that this wasn't the time to pursue that question. So, she pulled back and opened herself up once again, waiting for the Fire to speak as she drifted across the galaxy.

Suddenly, something grabbed her center where her heart beat calmly and yanked. Her eyes snapped open as her consciousness was pulled into a straight arrow as fast as light travels. The arrow flew and pierced the flame and it seemed to burst with life as the Vision pulled Minerva's Sight into it.

There was a corridor. It was long and winding as Minerva's consciousness traveled unhurriedly down its length. From the looks of it, she was convinced that if she could reach out and touch it, she would find it to be made of black ice…. But there was something else calling for her notice. It was a strange twinkling sound and it took her a moment to realize it was a music box playing, or so it seemed. Its song was melancholy and sinister and it provided no comfort to her. She continued on her way, eventually finding herself within a massive chamber.

If she could, she might have gasped, for in the center was a large crystal of ice where a lonely, beaten figure was encased. She tried to peer closer but as she was about to come upon the reason as to why this prisoner seemed familiar, a shadow lunged towards her. A horrible, horrible visage of nightmarish shadow screeched in her face and Minerva recoiled in horror as it took a hold of her mind and began to drag her into its abyss. It was killing her! She tried to break its hold on her and end the Vision, but the monster had too powerful a grip on her. And over the ceaseless melody she could hear her own blood-curdling screams of pain and terror ringing within her ears.

She tried everything to free herself, but it was impossible. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out in excruciating pain as her mind began to splinter. Slowly her sight grew dark and her breathing began to hitch as the life flowed from her body, death only moments away. Using the last breath she could catch, she wept out a single name, "Serenity…."

Instantly, an explosion of silver light sent the shadow creature back into its oblivion, releasing Minerva. She fell to the Temple floor, gasping and weeping, but though she felt her consciousness returning to her body, she was still blinded by the Vision. It wasn't over. Bit by bit she began to slump towards the ground for even though the shadow held her no more, the damage was done. Her mind couldn't hold together any longer and so it shattered. Princess Minerva collapsed blind to the white void surrounding her, blind to everything once and for all. She was dead.

* * *

"Endymion," Nephrite called out as he rode beside his King, keeping his voice low, "I think we should stop and make camp."

It was late into the night and though they were well within the confines of the forest, their pace had slowed considerably since Serenity fell asleep within Endymion's arms. He himself had to admit that holding and keeping her comfortable was beginning to put a strain on him. It was a good plan.

"I agree," Zoicite, said, "There will be no way for us to reach The Glen before the morrow."

Endymion nodded and the caravan veered from the dirt road and found a large clearing to break camp. He nudged the sleeping girl gently and said softly in her ear, "Serenity, wake."

Her eyes slowly opened and she looked about her. It was dark and she could barely see a thing. Alarm arose within her, "Where are we?"

His arm tightened around her waist as he spoke soothingly, "We are in the Elysian forest. It is all right. We are merely stopping for the night."

A smile came to his lips as he felt her relax once again within his embrace. However, he surmised that the moment she realized that she was snuggled against him, that she would bolt right out of the saddle. That bothered him because over the hours he had grown to like her being there….

They stopped and Nephrite helped a weary and sore Serenity down from the saddle. Endymion sighed and stretched his muscles before he made the descent himself. As the footmen rushed around, tending to a series of tasks to be done, Endymion began to unsaddle Loki. A gasp caught his attention and he turned to see Serenity in the arms of Nephrite, having obviously saved her from a nasty stumble.

"Are you all right?" The General asked, clearly concerned.

She nodded, "I think so."

Endymion nearly dropped the heavy saddle on his toes as a strange emotion raged through him. Nephrite practically carried the Princess, setting her down at the base of a tree, but it was the _way_ he held her had Endymion fuming. The man held her as if she were the most precious thing in the whole world to him… as if he loved her--!

Luna climbed out of the carriage and spotted her charge. She rushed over to the girl, "What is the matter?"

Serenity winced as she rubbed her calves, "I am sore, that is all."

The light provided by the full moon was snuffed out as a silhouette cast itself over her. She peered up to see a grouchy looking Endymion standing before her. He sighed as he crouched down in front of her, "If you are not used to riding, your legs turn into noodles. That and it does not help that you—"

"Help that she what?" Luna prompted worriedly.

He was going to say 'that you had such a workout the night before,' but reason kicked in before he got it out, "Nothing."

Endymion reached for her arm and grasped her shoulder, "Here."

She swatted at his hand as he began lightly massaging it, exclaiming, "What do you think you're doing?"

He opened his mouth to explain, but Luna took a swipe at the back of his head, "Get your paws off her!"

"Will you just let me do this?" The King bellowed as he slapped his hands on his thighs in exasperation.

Nephrite chortled, "Trust him."

Again, he reached for her but did so at a hesitant pace. Serenity was giving him a glare to match all glares and he knew that if he tried anything fiendish, it would be his last. Endymion started at her shoulder, began to knead the muscle, and worked his way down her arm. She gasped as tingling warmth spread from his fingers into her, abolishing the aching wherever it was that he touched her. Looking down she noticed that the tips of his fingers glowed with a soft, golden light. Instead of asking what it was that he was doing, she just closed her eyes and reveled in it. He worked down her forearm and came to the palms of her hands. Slowly he used his thumbs to ease any tension that might have been there before, finishing with her fingers. Endymion smirked as he attended her other arm; the look of absolute bliss on her dirt-smudged face was all he needed to banish all of his irritability. He also suspected that she was wriggling her toes with pleasure inside her boots.

Having finished with both arms, he moved to her feet and pulled a boot off. Sure enough, her toes were curled in delight. His hands moved to touch her thigh and her eyes flew open, but he interrupted her protest by echoing Nephrite, "Trust me."

His voice was silky and it caused her heart to skip a beat. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded but didn't take her eyes off him. Again, he began to work his magic as he slowly massaged her thigh, where no man had ever touched her, and took his sweet time working his way to her knee. Her breath quickened a degree and she knew she must be blushing, but what he was doing was perfectly innocent. She couldn't let him—or Luna for that matter—see the effect he was having on her.

"Good heavens!" Her guardian huffed and stalked off, unable to watch.

Nephrite laughed, patting his King on the shoulder and followed the cat woman, leaving them alone.

Endymion's gaze never veered from his hands as he dealt with her calf, but she could clearly see the smirk on his lips. It widened to a grin and a dimple showed when he came to her foot, knowing what it was that he was about to do to her. His eyes flew to her face to watch her expression as his thumbs pressed against the arch of her foot. Serenity had to clamp a hand over her mouth to catch the moan that escaped her lips and he halted his assault on her.

Looking around frantically, she saw that no one had heard, as everyone was preoccupied with preparing camp. They were slightly secluded due to the distance from their traveling companions and the shade of night almost hid them from sight.

"Do you want me to continue?" Endymion asked her, having never taken his gaze from hers.

Their eyes locked. Practicality was screaming that she tell him no, but her head was swimming in ecstasy. She could no longer be responsible for what she said or did at this point.

"Y—yes," Serenity said and she didn't recognize her own voice. It was low and smoky and filled with the desire for more. This startled and excited her at the same time, but she did her best to try to look unaffected.

He smiled and started to massage her foot, sending shivers up her spine. She would never say it aloud, but she was ecstatic that he was spending an unnecessarily long time on her foot. Biting her lower lip, she prepared herself as he removed her other boot.

Endymion loved every minute of this. He'd bet money on the fact that if they were alone, truly alone, that she'd be mewing at this point.

A thought crossed his mind and even though it would be going a bit far, he went for it. He started in reverse and began on her other foot, watching the bright light in her eyes become even brighter. It was sending him into an exhilarating daze hearing her breath quickening like it was.

Torturously slow, he purposefully made his way up her strong calf. Next, it was her knee and after… his prize. Endymion moved his strong hands at a snail's pace as he massaged her thigh, lingering and prolonging the experience and their eyes never left one another's. Serenity's breathing began to hitch and it was music to his ears as he came closer and closer to her center, but just as he would have touched her in that most sacred of areas, he stopped all together.

Having taken that route, it brought them close together. Their ragged breathing could be felt against each other's faces and Serenity's gaze couldn't help but flick down to stare at his lips, which hovered inches away. He grinned and she felt him take a hand from her thigh and grasp her hand in his, "Feel better?" She nodded imperceptibly and he brought her soft hand up and kissed it with a lengthy, sensuous tenderness that did make her coo ever so slightly. Endymion smiled knowingly, "Good. I am glad."

Then as quickly as he had come, he had gone back to finish unbridling his horse. She sat there for an age it seemed cooling off. That was close. What had come over him for Endymion to perform that sinfully wonderful service? He could have simply rubbed her down and been done with it, but no, he had to devastate her senses. But more than that, what was wrong with _her?_ She'd let him do all of it!

Shaking her head, she stood and watched from across the clearing as he sent an uninhibited Loki into the woods while the other horses were being tied off. Feeling her ogle him, he turned to look at her in return. Once again, she shivered at the sultry look he was giving her.

"Serenity," a voice called.

Luna walked up and touched the girl's shoulder, "Are you better now?"

The Princess nodded, tearing her gaze away from Endymion.

The guardian led her over to a tent that had been pitched. That was where they would be staying for the night. Serenity felt relieved to be able to rest, really rest, but she wondered if she could hammer down her excitement enough to sleep at all.

As she and Luna settled down for the evening, Serenity squeezed her eyes shut and began to force herself to think of other things.

'Serenity….'

She propped herself up. Did someone just call her?

"Luna?"

"Hmm...?"

"Did you say something?" She asked.

The woman rolled over, "No, now sleep."

Laying her head back down, she ignored the sense of foreboding she now felt and fell fast asleep.

* * *

'_Return….'_ A voice called soothingly.

The last remnants of life within the corpse pulsed.

'_Return to me Guardian of Fire,'_ the voice beckoned again in a whispering tone.

Again, her soul throbbed.

'_Return to me. You have yet to finish your task, beautiful Guardian of Fire…._'

A hand pressed against the forehead of the lifeless carcass and a miraculous thing happened. Just as the last drop of soul within Minerva's body was about to trickle out, the stream pulsated once more. Only this time, the river stopped its departure into the next world and began to throb with a familiar rhythm -- the rhythm of a heartbeat fluttering back to life.

The fire princess was dragged back into the world of the living as her spirit flowed back into her body. Slowly, her mind stitched itself together and in a short time her ability to breathe returned and she coughed and sputtered as she pushed herself off the floor, clutching at her throat.

Looking up, she saw a shadowy figure with warrior's eyes gazing down upon her with love and kindness, _'Beautiful Guardian of Fire… your task is not yet done….'_

Before she could ask anything, the stranger was gone. Minerva sat up and looked around but only the void greeted her. What just happened? She looked around as something strange reminded her she was still within the Vision…. In the distance she heard… singing? Many voices jovially sang out in harmony and she turned to see a forest lit with small particles of light floating in the air.

'_The festival is fast approaching…._' The voices resonated.

Minerva gasped, "Serenity…?"

'_And I hope it will be my time….'_

Standing before her was her Princess giggling at King Endymion before he gently pulled her into his embrace.

'_To find a love who's not reproaching….'_

The Soldier's eyes widened when she witnessed Endymion take Serenity's chin into his hand and tilt her head up. Slowly he brought his lips down to hers in a tender kiss. Another explosion of light engulfed her as the last verse floated to her ears, _'And who is gentle, sweet, and kind.'_

Minerva blinked and she once again was in the Temple of Sibyl, lying in front of the Sacred Flame as if she had fainted. She arduously got to her feet and turned her back on the fire. Walking as fast as possible after her trying ordeal, she came to the doors to the outer shrine chamber and when she opened them, two figures rushed forward and caught her as her knees gave out.

"Sleep… let me sleep…." Minerva rasped out.

Phobos and Deimos looked at one another worriedly. What had their princess seen?

----

The crown princess of Mars drifted from nightmare to nightmare for hours on end and through the night. It was noon when she gradually emerged from her comatose state. Sluggishly and painfully, she opened her violet-eyes and looked around, unmoving because her body felt as if it were made of stone. No, movement would not return to her for a little while longer, but she felt a weight pressing upon her bed on her left. Minerva saw her proud father sitting by her side, his gaze stern as he looked off into the distance.

She tried to talk, but her voice was useless. The king turned to see where the hoarse rasping came from. The moment he saw his daughter's eyes open, he breathed a heavy sigh and all the tension in his tired eyes washed away. Ares brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sternly said, "Phobos, bring the princess water."

The duchess was at Minerva's side in a flash with a cup of sweet water. She held the girl's head up and smiled sadly as she watched her drink greedily. After the inevitable coughing fit was over, the Seer's voice returned, "Your Majesty."

Ares opened his eyes and looked upon his daughter once more, "What drove you to take such a risk?"

It was true that seeing into the Flame was dangerous, possibly the most dangerous form of casting. When one used the Sacred Fires, they left themselves open and venerable to any sort of assault. That was why the veiled enemy was able to grab hold and kill her. Dangerous yes, but it also was the most powerful form of divination in the entire galaxy.

Minerva felt her eyes grow moist. It was evident that her father had been wrought with worry ever since he learned of her collapsing. He was such a proud, boisterous, jovial man when Queen Morrigan was alive… and after… he was quiet, contemplative, and a recluse. She couldn't tell him what the Soldiers were planning and she most definitely would not tell him she had died in that chamber.

This was the most concern she had seen him express for her in quite some time. They were not close, it was true, but at no fault of one or the other. Losing a loved one… well, it changes people and Minerva knew that.

"I had to," she whispered.

He turned away at this. Ares felt that barrier between them: cold, strong, and unyielding. It was present now even as he grieved for his daughter's life, wishing that things were different so she could bear her soul to him in this frail state-- in any state.

"I understand," he said and stood to go but stopped when the girl caught his black tunic in a feeble grasp.

"I am sorry," her voice wavered with emotion, "I cannot say what it is exactly…. Duty binds me, Father."

The king nodded and sat down once again, taking her hand in his, saying for the second time, "I understand."

Minerva blinked back tears and looked about the room, trying to stave off the growing dread within her, "I am afraid."

"Afraid of what, my daughter...?" His voice now had a steel edge in it. His daughter was of Martian blood and she bore within her veins generations of fearless warriors. Nothing shook them, to see her frightened, and on the verge of weeping… it was no light matter.

"I saw in my dreams war and a mother drowning her child," she answered, eyes closed, "And in the fire—" She moved her free hand laboriously to cover her mouth, stifling a sob as flashes of the Vision came back to her, "Within the ice… Papa, she had silver hair!"

As Minerva broke down crying, everyone within the room—Athena, the twins, and Ares—exchanged a look of anxiety. Silver hair… she spoke of Serenity. The rumors of the assassin all came to mind and the Duchesses ran forward to soothe their princess. The king squeezed her hand and spoke with conviction and fire in his eyes, "There has been an age since the last Great War with the Dark One Metallia, and if this vision comes to pass, know this my daughter: the armies of our people will not stand idly by. Let the enemy come. The Silver Court will prevail!"

* * *

_AN- Songs I listened to while writing this: Incomplete by the Backstreet Boys; Speed and Sahara by Bond; In the Kingdome of the Blind the One-Eyed are Kings and Cantara by Dead Can Dance; Savana Dance by Deep Forest; Candles by Dirty Vegas; Sacrifice by Evanescence; Have you got it in you? By Imogen Heap; Dark Angel, Pt. 2 and Strange Lullaby, Pt. 2 by Lee Blaske; Full Moon by Robert Miles; Fear by Sarah McLachlan; Desert Rose by Sting; Forsaken and Angels by Within Temptation._


	10. What's in a Smile

IX

What's in a Smile

- -

The impersonator knew she was being followed and yet, it did not worry her pretty head in the least…. Freya allowed herself a miniscule smirk as she began to hum more loudly a nonsensical tune; something Serenity would do as she aimlessly wandered the immaculate corridors of her home. Her heart pounded within her ears as the stalker's pursuit began to quicken. Not daring to chance a glance behind her, 'Serenity' turned the corner and came upon a massive hallway... a remote and empty hallway… far from any living soul….

Freya tripped slightly and giggled at her 'clumsiness.' She stooped to inspect what had caused her to do so…. This was it!

The stranger was faster than she had anticipated. They tackled her and the soldier in disguise was pushed to the ground, face first. Struggling, she grabbed at her assailant and pulled them down beside her. Shoving off her attacker, she pinned them down with her strong legs, quickly straddling him.

Freya pulled back her fist and hesitated when recognition struck her, "Ganymede?"

The boy seized his chance in that moment of hesitation and in a surprising show of strength, rolled the two of them over. With his arm pinned against her neck, she realized her mistake as her flow of oxygen was cut off. He meant business.

The Venusian Soldier moved her leg slightly to kick him off her, but the cold blade he touched against her cheek stilled her. Choking, the girl managed to steal a breath, but the harder she pushed against his tanned forearm, the harder the knife pressed.

"W—why…?" Freya never anticipated the assassin would be someone so close and this was throwing the Soldier off her game. That, and Serenity's long cumbersome dress was not helping in the least. If the warrior could only transform into Sailor Venus, the boy wouldn't stand a chance. Now, if only she could push aside her bleeding heart and finally finish this once and for all…. She did however, see the same conflict flicker within his eyes, even though the look he was giving her was one of pure hatred. To kill an enemy was one thing, but a friend…?

"Quiet!" he spat, pressing down on her windpipe. "How dare you!"

"Ga-gan—"

That destroyed any emotional ties that were holding her back. In one swift movement, she threw him a good couple of yards, managing to jump to her feet. Ganymede went scrambling to his, retrieving the knife that had landed a short distance away.

Freya charged at the boy, who tried to dodge her advance, but to no avail. Her fist collided with his stomach and the force of the blow brought him to his knees. Lifting her silken skirts, she launched a swift kick to his face. Blood spurted and the child went sprawling to the ground. She kicked the knife from his hand and pressed a pretty foot against his neck, effectively restraining him.

"Who are you working for?" Freya demanded and the boy did something she did not expect-- face bloody from his busted nose, he began to cry.

She blanched, but quickly regained her composure once he opened those vengeful eyes, tears pouring freely. The Soldier watched in fascination as Gany began to writhe and reach for the knife that thankfully was well out of grasp. He had moxy, but that still did not answer her question, so again she shouted, "Who are you working for, Ganymede?"

Ignoring her, the boy sobbed, "Who are you? What've you done with her?"

Officially, for the third time within the past few minutes, the Soldier of Venus was caught off guard, "Huh?"

"You monster…! What've you done with Serenity?" Raw emotion replaced the venom in his voice. The wheels began to turn and Freya's gut began to scream that something was amiss. Surely if Gany were an assassin, he wouldn't have been so easy to defeat and he certainly would not have tried to kill Serenity with a kitchen knife, she realized, taking a good look at the blade.

"Who are you?" his heart wrenching sobs broke through her ponderings, "where's Serenity? You've killed her…."

He was not the assassin. Freya sighed in relief and closed her eyes. She felt the glamour melt away and she stood over him as herself. Gany's swollen green eyes went wide and his squirming ceased immediately. Venus laughed as she offered her hand and pulled the boy to his feet, "Come. Let us see to that nose of yours."

* * *

"I noticed a few days after the ball," Gany winced as Mercury ministered to his puffy eyes and near broken nose.

Freya, once again disguised as Serenity, sighed, "And you were planning on taking on her imposter with a bread knife?"

After revealing herself to the servant boy, Freya donned her guise once again as the Moon Princess and called Mercury and Jupiter to meet them. Now 'Serenity,' Talaria, Ganymede, and Ceres were currently crammed in a small side room in a quiet wing of the castle. Being somewhat of a healer, Talaria tended to Gany as he sat on the end of a wooden table looking, to Venus, heartbreakingly innocent and victimized. Her conscience was weeping for what she had done to him.

"What you did was brave, Ganymede," Mercury shot her 'Princess' a look, "However—"

"Stupid," Ceres interrupted, crossing her arms.

"However," The Mercurial princess huffed, straightening after inspecting the boy's face, giving Ceres an identical look of annoyance, "You should have come to us if you had these suspicions."

"I am sorry," he said abashed, "But I just lost my head when I thought that she might be dead…."

Rubbing salve on his nose, she asked tenderly, "Are you in love with Princess Serenity, Gany?"

The parts of his face that weren't black and green with bruising turned red, "No—"

"Yeah, what happened to that doll maker in Serenitatus you liked?" Ceres of Jupiter gibed.

"It's not that at all!" He said defensively, "I still like Aya, but Serenity…. It's a different type of love…. She's like a sister to me."

"A spoilt rotten royal version of a sister, you mean." Freya laughed.

He laughed a little, then regretted it as an intense pain throbbed throughout his head, "Yeah, but I think most people feel the same way when they meet her I suppose; that she's something special to cherish."

All three women smiled knowingly.

Talaria ran her thumb and index finger down the bridge of Gany's nose. A clear blue shimmering light followed her fingertips and then spread out to his cheeks and eyes. She stood up straight once again and watched as the swelling reduced significantly, "Well, you will still have some visible bruising, but most of it I have healed. That is all I can do for you Ganymede."

The servant touched his face gingerly and smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Lady Soldier."

Looking at her feet, Freya guiltily said, "For what it is worth, I think that you are someone equally special to Serenity, Gany. You are her brother, someone she loves and cherishes with everything she has."

Jupiter placed her hand on his shoulder, "You realize you mustn't tell anyone of this, right? Even the Queen. Can you do that?"

"For Ser, anythin'," he replied in that slightly off accent of his, where words would run together and end sooner than later, and the Soldiers saw the conviction in his eyes. He would not tell a soul.

"You know what surprises me most, is how you got the best of our dear 'Princess' here," laughed the tall brunette.

Freya pouted, "I was shocked! You would have hesitated too!" They all laughed briefly, but soon grew somber again and she said what was on all their minds, "It may be someone who we know…. We cannot fumble as I did today. Ceres is right. If Ganymede had been the assassin, he would have killed me easily."

Suddenly, Artemis jumped upon the tiny windowsill from the garden outside, startling all of them, "Sorry, I was detained, girls. Serenity, your mother -- the Queen -- requests you come to see her." The white cat's voice was strained and Freya felt a chill go down her spine.

Talaria nervously looked about and whispered, "We need to be more cautious about what is said aloud. Too many things have gone amuck today…."

"Well, Serenity," Ceres tried to smile unsuccessfully, "I suppose avoiding certain people as a strategy has not been panning out all that well for us."

"How did you know she was not Serenity?"

Ganymede shrugged, "Honestly, it took me a while to be sure. At first I noticed she was avoiding me and I thought that maybe she was mad at me for somethin', but then I started to watch."

"Do you think anyone else has noticed?"

"No, there was only one thing that caught my attention and tipped me off," He said, "It's not somethin' you'd notice ever, really, but I just so happened to."

The blonde nodded, then squared her shoulders, "I will come with you Artemis, to see my 'mother.'"

The Mauian nodded, then hopped down to the floor as Freya opened the door to the corridor.

Despite Gany reassuring them that she was playing a convincing Serenity, if he discerned the difference, surely, Queen Selenity could as well. Before she stepped out, she turned to face Ganymede, "I am sorry."

He grinned, "Think nothing of it, Ser."

"What was the one thing that was different?" she asked, afraid.

Looking her squarely in the eye, he stated simply, "Your smile. There is a trace of sadness behind it, instead of a radiating joy, like hers."

Freya nodded and stepped out into the hallway. Funny how a boy, who was only thirteen saw something in her only Artemis and one other person had ever noticed about her in her entire life….

* * *

She wore a crown of daisies in her golden hair, which twisted and turned each way as it was looped up atop her head beautifully. Her smiling face was scrubbed clean and it glowed with excitement. Serenity was a vision as she walked into the clearing, even in men's trousers.

Endymion stopped his grumbling as soon as she had walked through the trees, on a path he knew led to a river-- he had been kicking himself for letting the girls go and freshen up before they arrived at their destination as it took waaaaaay longer than he had anticipated. However, it was all worth it, he realized, when she walked up to him with a bounce in her step.

She kicked her heels together and saluted him, "Ready when you are!"

The King smirked knowingly; she was laying on the charm thick, because she knew she had taken waaaaaay too long also, but the sun could only dry her washed clothing only so fast. He was about to ask where her guardian was, but Luna soon came to stand beside her Princess wearing a frown before he could finish his thought. Apparently, she was not thrilled with the fact that Serenity wasn't wearing a dress.

"Ladies," Endymion bowed slightly, "Noon is almost upon us. We must be on our way."

The Moon Princess clapped her hands, obviously pleased, and left to go stand somewhat near to Loki; her fear of horses had waned considerably, yes, but that didn't mean she was about to try and handle the giant by herself.

Endymion went to follow, but Luna stopped him by saying in a low, deadly voice, "Crystal River, Endymion?"

Uh oh…. He winced and slowly turned to face her, "Yes, I do believe that is the river's name."

She glowered at him long and hard, then slapped at his arm. "You better know what you are doing, or else you have me to answer to!" The Mauian stormed off and climbed into the carriage without looking back once. She had had suspicions as to where the King's destination was, and the further they traveled, the more they were confirmed. She had never been to the village, but she knew the tales and the roundabout location of it. Seeing the Crystal River was the affirmation she had dreaded. They were going to The Glen….

* * *

Queen Selenity frowned at her daughter. She was deeply troubled about something, so sitting on her vanity's stool, she pat at her knee and had Serenity sit at her feet. They were in the Queen's chambers—the best place to have this type of discussion.

"Something worries me, daughter," Selenity said anxiously.

Freya looked up at her Queen with concern that was not feigned. Did Selenity know? Did she see that same sadness in her eyes as Ganymede had?

"Why, what is it that worries you so, Mother?" the Soldier of Venus said in Serenity's voice. She willed her hands not to tremble as she placed them attentively on Selenity's knees.

"It has been a while since we have spoken. Why is that?" The Queen placed a soft hand underneath Freya's chin and her pale blue eyes searched the girl's younger face with a look of penetrating intensity. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she said, "You seem not the same since your birthday celebration, dear daughter."

Taken aback and terrified, the princess of Venus looked down at her hands, "I am afraid I do not see what it is that is different…." at that, her Queen smiled knowingly and made Freya wonder if she could hear her heartbeat slamming against her ribcage.

"Do not think me naive, little one," she almost laughed and an eternity seemed to pass by until she added, "I saw that handsome man you danced with. Has he stolen you heart, dear child?" Nervous laughter bubbled to the princess' pink lips before she should stop it. The High Queen nodded and laughed as well, "I thought as much. Was he a gentleman?"

Freya smiled brightly, "Yes, Mama. He was a very nice young man and treated me with such kindness."

So, Selenity had seen the disguised Endymion waltzing with her daughter that night…. The Soldier thought about that fervently and concluded that it wasn't too much of a red flag. Many men have tried to vie for the Moon Princess' affections for years. This was nothing new and fortunate for her that the Queen thought that Serenity's recent detachment was because of a crush.

Selenity looked past her 'daughter' and her eyes became distant and unseeing, "I am glad you have experienced the first glowing embers of affection. However…." Freya knew what was coming. She had been given this very same speech on several occasions when she was first training to become a Soldier of Serenity's Inner Guard. There was a difference though…. "You know your obligations might not lead you to where your heart wishes…. One day you may find yourself married, not for love, but for State," her nearly gray eyes landed on Freya once more, "Do you understand this, my love?"

Serenity was expected to marry while the Guard could not wed. This was the difference.

"Yes, Mama," she looked down to give the impression of dismay, "I know. He was nice, that is all."

The Soldier's Queen leaned over and kissed her forehead, "You mustn't be too upset, dear one."

"May I go now? I think I saw a strawberry pie in the kitchen and it calls for me, Mama," Freya smiled once more.

Selenity laughed and nodded, "Yes, yes. By all means, but do not let the Merry catch you. I think she meant to surprise you with it, Serenity."

Before the blonde left, she said, "I promise not to sulk too much, thank you for talking with me."

As the door closed behind her, the Queen shook her head, staring at her clasped hands resting upon her lap, "Dear Serenity, you are growing up too fast. Please let time move a little slower…."

* * *

Serenity had been hearing voices for a while now, and they grew louder and more distinct as they traveled further through the Elysian Forest. They were singing, she knew that much, but she couldn't quite make out the words to their song. Looking down at Endymion from her high perch, she wondered again, where it was that he was taking them. He had surprised her earlier by not joining her after hoisting her up upon the saddle. Instead, he merely led Loki along the small road and answered all of her questions about this village by saying, "You shall have to wait, Princess."

Suddenly, the trees began to thin and they came upon an enormous clearing just over a hill; they had come upon a valley within the forest! Looking around excitedly, she observed a quaint little village in the distance, right smack in the middle of the alcove and the source of the singing. Nearly twenty women of all ages sang jovially while they stooped and picked mouthwatering strawberries from the vine. Their voices were lifted up upon the breeze and intermingled with the men's as they sang from the fields out to her left….

"Sweet fireflies light up the sky with glee,

Like such sweet bits of magic,

This night I hope that dancing I will be,

To be alone would be tragic."

As the caravan moved on by, one by one the villagers stood and began to walk with them, greeting them with smiles and song. Someone even reached up and gave Serenity a bouquet of wildflowers.

"Who will receive a flower tonight?

What color will the ribbon be?

We shall meet by the fireflies' light,

I hope that they too love me."

With the women humming, the men sang their side of the story as they came upon the village.

"The festival is fast approaching,

And I hope it will be my time,

To find a love who's not reproaching,

And who is gentle sweet and kind."

"I hope the gardenia is found by she,

The girl who stole my heart,

Ambrosia I hope she brings for me,

I pray I've done my part."

Coming upon the central square, the song ended before it was finished . A young man with long black hair stood upon a crate, having earlier been giving out orders to several people beforehand, but now obviously waiting for his guests to arrive. He laughed a loud, joyous laugh and jumped down to receive them. Rushing forward, he welcomed Endymion with a bear hug, "Cousin! Well met!"

The King laughed and pulled away, clasping this young man on the shoulders in fond greeting, "Well met, Matthias!"

Serenity didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure if she should call out to Endymion, or just wait to be introduced. Loki didn't seem to appreciate being ignored either as he began to nibble at Matthias' arm.

Again, the man who could have passed for the King's double -- save for a few distinct features -- laughed, "Loki, well met! Well met!" His forest-green eyes traveled upward and widened slightly in astonishment, "And this must be the lovely Sere."

She glanced at Endymion questioningly, but his steadfast gaze made her realize that he was responsible for this slight. Sere it was, then.

Matthias gave the King a sly look and jumped back upon his box. Spreading his arms wide, he bowed, "Guests! Welcome to the Glen!"


	11. Self Sacrifice

X

Self Sacrifice

"I still do not understand, where it is we are," Serenity stated, sitting at the end of the bed in the guest room Luna and she would be sharing.

"We are in the Glen. Not many people know about this place...." Her guardian replied; she was putting away some of her Princess's clothing into the simple armoire within the quaint room.

"Why is that? It is well hidden, but...."

"It is not uncommon for parts of the world to be secluded," a voice from the doorway answered, "Especially small villages such as ours."

"Oh," Serenity stood as the Queen Mother of Earth, Endymion's mother, walked in.

The Moon Princess was about to make a deep curtsy, but Luna stepped forward, bowing her head slightly, "Madelina, I presume. My Lady and I thank you for your generosity in letting us stay here in your fine home."

Madelina? Serenity took a closer look and realized that this was not in fact, Gaea. This woman was probably only a few years older than she was and had dark brown eyes, rather than the Queen's blue. That, and her belly swollen with child, something Serenity had not noticed at first glance either. But how alike they looked at a hasty glimpse... much like Matthias, the young mayor, and his cousin Endymion did.

"Think nothing of it. It is a great honor to house the friends of His Majesty," the young woman replied, then looked at the smiling Serenity, who had been gawking at her.

She blushed profusely and scrambled to explain herself, "I'm sorry, I did not mean to stare. It is just that you look so like someone I know...."

"Queen Gaea?" Madelina laughed a soft, merry laugh.

"Why, yes!"

"She is my Aunt."

"Queen Gaea was born in this little village. Loving it so, she bade her husband to keep it a secret, just as it had been for centuries," Luna supplied, "To keep it from being overrun by the complications of larger societies."

"Oh I see, and Matthias is your brother then?" Serenity asked, "You must forgive my ignorance. Endymion has kept much from me since we departed Elysian."

The Lunarian girl blanched at what she had just said. When had the King ever told her anything? Only recently, they had become somewhat friendly. She had given their new blossoming connection way too much credit, and hoped their hostess did not take note of the unintended implications.

Unfortunately, she did, for Madelina's umber eyes sparkled and gave the Princess a sly smile, "My cousin rarely divulges his intentions to anyone, especially if he should want to surprise someone with something so close to his heart as the Glen."

An uncomfortable silence befell the room; Luna looked positively furious -- though she tried to hide it -- Serenity's face was aflame, and Madelina just smiled warmly, unaware of the situation she helped create.

"Well," Endymion's cousin clapped her hands together, "Would you like to join us, Lady Sere, Lady Luna?"

"Join you?" Serenity asked.

"Why, preparing for the Festival of course!"

~*~

"She is beautiful," Matthias laughed, "One of the High Ladies of your Court?"

Endymion smirked, "Something like that...."

The two men were currently moving heavy wooden tables around in the vast village square. They sat the table down and looked in the direction of the subject at hand. Madelina was showing Luna and Serenity how to lace together colorful ribbons for decorations. The three were laughing as the Princess accidentally created a huge knot, instead of an intricate design.

"Special enough to warrant a visit to the Glen, however, do not deny it. You would not have brought her here otherwise, especially in time for the Festival of Lights."

The King sighed, wiping sweat from his handsome brow, "Honestly, I have not quite figured out what she is to me, Cousin."

The second man grunted in acknowledgment, "Well, know this. Tonight, many flowers will find their way to the doorstep of my sister's house, and they will not be intended for the married Madelina...."

Endymion frowned and knew what Matthias had said to be true. But what did that matter to him? Yet another question added to the dozens he'd already been asking himself.

~*~

"So what exactly is the Festival of Lights?" Serenity asked, trying for the umpteenth time to make a braid of ribbons.

"A long-time honored tradition," one of the older, plumper women sitting at the table of ribbons beamed, "A time for merry-making and reveling. And maybe even romance."

"Romance?" she squeaked.

Madelina laughed, "Bram, is correct. Long ago, as the legend goes, a poor farm boy fell in love with the mayor's daughter. Unable to woo her with his status, he began to pick the gardenias that grew in his yard, and left one every night on her door stoop."

"Gardenias?"

Bram chortled, "A beautiful white flower that grows in abundance in the Glen. In the language of flowers, they represent 'secret love.'"

"Yes," the brunette continued, "For one Moon Cycle, he would secretly leave these flowers for her to find. Finally, one night she stayed up and watched the boy come and go. Smiling to herself, the next morning she took an ambrosia from her mother's garden, marched into the fields where he worked and handed it to him. The flower gave her answer of love reciprocated. Later he would prove his worth and wisdom and become her husband, the next mayor of the Glen."

Luna looked at Serenity and if it were at all possible, the girl would have had hearts in her eyes, "How romantic!"

"The Festival of Lights is a celebration of the summer harvest more than anything, but some of the ideals of the story are still implemented."

"Oh?" She was practically gushing by now.

"Tonight the single men will pick gardenias and lay them at the door stoop of the woman they've become infatuated with. Ribbons will be tied around them along with a small card with the girl's name on it and his as well."

"A gardenia I'd like to find,

With a silk ribbon tied,

From the boy who had me in mind,

Hoping I become his bride." Bram sang as others joined her in the verse.

Madelina carried on, just finishing her twentieth braid, "Tomorrow morning, before most of the food preparations have been completed, all the ladies will go to the fields and pluck the ambrosia growing nearby for the exchange in the evening."

Again, the women creating the final decorations sang,

"Ambrosias I shall gather for this boy,

To give if I agree,

In hopes that he shall bring me joy,

This boy that God sent me."

"Should the girl feel the same liking for the boy, a matching ribbon will be tied around the stem. Yellow if not, to denote a valued friendship not wanting to be lost. The exchange will happen at the start of the Festival, right before the dancing. Which I will be doing none of this year," Madelina laughed, patting her stomach.

"Will you get a gardenia from your husband?" Serenity asked, smiling.

The woman, a couple years her senior blushed and left Bram to answer, "A husband who doesn't give a gardenia has a death wish. But yes, William has been ever vigilant in giving his lovely wife here a gardenia every year, for many years."

"Since she was seven and I twelve of age, I believe," a man with flaming red hair answered from behind.

"Such a persistent thing," the very pregnant Madelina scoffed, smoothing her hands over her belly as the man, who apparently was her husband William, kissed the top of her head.

"'Persistence' has no bounds when it comes to these two," William declared, laughing, gesturing to the two identical, freckled girls latching onto their father's shins, "Take the hellions from me, for I can stand chasing them around no longer!"

His wife laughed, turning on the stool she sat upon and held out her arms, "Millie, Mabel, come here! Give your dear old father a rest!"

The twin girls ran on wobbly legs towards their mother, bright red curls bouncing with each step. Without any difficulty, as if she did it a thousand times a day and with the strength in her arms that only mothers had, Madelina leaned down and swung each girl up on a knee. Laughing she said, "Soon there will be no knee left to do this, girls!"

They giggled and gently patted their mother's stomach, knowing that they would be big sisters before the summer season was over.

"What a beautiful family you have," Serenity beamed, her heart warming at the loving sight.

"Indeed," Luna agreed entirely.

"Thank you, kind Ladies," William grinned and smoothed a hand over his wife's ebony hair, "Now, if you excuse me, I shall go and make myself useful."

Watching him go, Madelina sighed and clicked her tongue happily, "He would be more useful if he would take them for the rest of the day...."

One of the women snickered knowingly, "They would be so helpful, wouldn't they? Too convenient, don't you suppose?"

They all laughed and Serenity looked at the freckled cherubs, down at her ribbon knot, and then back at the girls, "I can watch them, if you do not mind? I am horrible at this ribbon weaving and may possibly be of more use doing something else!"

"I will help also, if you would like?" Luna supplemented, knowing Serenity had no _idea_ how rambunctious two year-olds could be. Her hidden tail ached at the memory of a particular little Moon Princess and her fascination with her kitty's swaying appendage. The guardian had to suppress her mirth at the fond memories.

Madelina jumped at the chance, "Oh would you?"

The two girls grinned at Serenity, obviously fascinated by her. Again, Luna smiled. How naive her ward was....

Two hours later, Serenity, supposed heir of the universe, had given up all hope of surviving. She had met her match and it came in the form of two toddlers. Luna, however, seemed like she could go all day-- chasing the squealing girls, lifting them up into the air, and making wishes with dandelions-- only to do it all over again.

Earlier, Madelina, as if she had somehow known, took them back to the house after the offer to watch the children. She packed a large basket for a picnic within five minutes and had them marching down the road towards a field full of wildflowers almost immediately after.

Serenity plopped down on the blanket they had spread out, panting. They had just finished their fifth game of tag. Luna sat down next to her and called to the girls as she pulled strawberries from the basket and a water-skin.

"I don't know how you do it."

Her guardian smiled as she handed the twins strawberries and made them drink water to stay hydrated, "You were quite the handful yourself, and I was a cat then. Imagine babysitting when your charge is bigger than you are and has opposable thumbs."

Serenity laughed and Millie scooted closer, settling herself in the Princess's lap, "I guess you have a point. You are a professional, but how is that you look so young?"

Again, a burst of laughter came forth as she received a 'look' from the Mauian. She had treaded into dangerous territory, but she didn't care. This was the most fun they had since they had left the Moon, and maybe even longer than that....

The look in Luna's eyes had become distant and there was a faint smile on her lips, "Have you not noticed? The people on the Moon stay younger for a much longer period than with those inhabitants of other planets... especially Earth as it is such a precious, fledgling star. Time slows down for us, Sere." Maroon eyes met cornflower, "But you had never left home, before now. Studies can only teach you so much, but seeing something for yourself, that is different -- more valuable."

By now, each twin had taken a lap and quieted down considerably. Their eyes had become heavy, coupled with the warm sun with the constant cool, comforting breeze beckoning them to the land of slumber. Serenity looked down and stroked Millie's red, curly hair, smiling at her strawberry covered face.

"Maybe some day, our children will grow up together Luna," the Princess said wistfully.

Her red-faced guardian was about to ask whose children was she suppose to be having, and who in the hell did Serenity have in mind for her own, but decided against it. She just let the gentle wind carry their troubles away. She too, had been thinking about how this was the most she and her Princess had gotten along in months. Maybe she was being too hard on Serenity, but she worried as much as any mother would, if not more. Her darling ward had such a difficult life ahead of her, and no clue as to what being High Queen would bring.

So instead of admonishing her, Luna replied, "Maybe...."

Time slipped slowly into the late afternoon as Millie and Mabel slept in the women's laps, looking something like fairy sprites with all of the wildflowers in their hair. Serenity accompanied the singing cicadas with a light melody she hummed, leaning back on the palms of her hands.

"Such peace...." The Princess sighed happily, "I see why this planet is so worth protecting."

Luna's heart swelled with pride, but she couldn't respond to tell her so because no sooner had she spoken, someone said while approaching, "There you are."

Serenity looked up as a shadow came to block the sun and slowly Endymion's face came into view. She smiled up at him, "Is it time to come back already?"

He laughed a low, gentle laugh, "Yes. I'll help you pack."

They carefully moved the girls to the blanket, careful not to wake them. As they put away all of the remaining food and water-skins, they looked down at the slumbering children.

Serenity smirked, unable to resist, saying, "So angelic looking; and to think, they had me about ready to run for the hills."

Her heart fluttered as Endymion chuckled and slowly lifted Mabel into his arms. Luna moved the basket off the blanket as Serenity took up Millie, allowing her friend to pick up the plaid spread and fold it. They walked like this back to Williams and Madelina's home, King and Princess carrying a precious child in their arms, and the Guardian walking behind them, swinging the basket along, eying how closely the other two were walking together. Such trouble brewing on the horizon....

~*~

Endymion took a long swig of ale. He was in a sour mood, at best, Mathias could tell.

It was evening time, and the younger men were coming in from their excursions from the stoops of the women of the village. Each boasted about how they surely wouldn't be denied and how they couldn't wait to see the ambrosias they would get in return. Some came to ask Mathias if he had finally chosen a woman this year to which he would give his affections.

"No, no. Not this time, fellas," the mayor would laugh, "Maybe next year."

The men would laugh and then elbow the King in a humorous fashion, "We know who His Majesty will be giving a flower to though!"

The men would walk away laughing at their jokes, leaving Endymion in a much more dower mood than he had been in two moments beforehand. Nephrite, however, had been the last straw. His General came waltzing in with a group of courters and sat next to the two cousins, signaling to the barkeep for his own pint.

"My, coming in late are you not, Nephrite?" Mathias quipped, "Found a lass to woo?"

Nephrite's green eyes twinkled as he evasively said, "Perhaps."

This one word sent forth a flood of images within Endymion's mind. Images of Serenity at her birthday celebration, the first time he had seen why her beauty was so talked about amongst all the socialites of every court; of when she was so angry with him, covered in mud, that she could have killed him without a second thought. Then images of Nephrite spending every free moment entertaining the Moon Princess, and of how she smiled at everything he had to say to her... much different from the glares he himself received.

Again Nephrite held Serenity in front of mind's eye, as he had the night before, tenderly. Endymion's thoughts shifted pleasantly as he then recalled the deed he preformed for her also... but one last imagining came to plague him. Serenity wearing Nephrite's gardenia, and he her ambrosia. A love reciprocated....

Endymion stood suddenly, startling his drinking companions. Without a word, he stormed out of the bar and left Nephrite and Mathias looking after him with puzzled expressions.

The King's mind was a blur. Could Serenity and Nephrite have fallen in love in front of his eyes without his knowing? It was no secret that Endymion had been harsh and distant until recently, and he wouldn't blame Serenity for becoming infatuated with a friendly face in a foreign land... but could it be _possible_? Naturally, they could never get married, but those high in status had been known to take on a lover or two... but Serenity and Nephrite?

Endymion stopped his mad trek and looked up at a window still lit with candlelight. Funny how he found himself here, in front of William and Madelina's home... staring up at Serenity's window. How long he stood there in the shadows wishing for unknown things, he didn't know. Only until the light was snuffed out did he look down and saw instantly a basket full of gardenias on the door stoop. His heart hammered within his ears as something akin to panic came rushing over him.

Endymion took a shaky step forward... but stopped himself. Did he really want to know if Nephrite's gardenia was in there or not? A realization dawned on him. Suddenly, laughter came upon the King's lips. He was acting like a jealous child! He was actually jealous of Nephrite!

Taking a quivering, calming breath, he ran a frustrated hand through his raven-black hair. Serenity was destined to be High Queen, his Queen who he would pledge the Earth's allegiance to. He could no sooner marry her as Nephrite, this much was certain. An affair with her wasn't something he was sure he wanted to invest in due to the difficulty of the situation. His General had a better standing as far as he was concerned, not having a whole planet to run and all.

Serenity, was continuing to grow on him considerably, and he would find it all but impossible to deny her every wish for much longer. His Generals were also subject to her spell, and if she desired Nephrite, then Endymion wouldn't stand in their way, no matter how sick it made his heart. Her wishes, wants, and needs, he realized, were more important to him than were his own.

"God help me," he chuckled and stalked off into the night. The best option at this point was to retire within his bed at Mathias' home.


	12. Festival of Lights

XI

Festival of Lights

"Now explain again, who these are from?"

Madelina laughed and took the pile of cards from a perplexed Serenity and filed through them, "Kyle, Hubert's ten year old son, Nolan, Taylor's eleven-year-old son. Matt, his younger brother, Benjamin Jr. and Ben senior's eight-year-old son, and the list goes on of likely candidates for your affections, Sere."

Luna burst into fits of laughter. Earlier in the day, her Princess had received a basket full of gardenias. All of which were from the young boys of the village. Serenity was a touch exasperated, but nonetheless found it funny in a charming sort of way. Only two in the basket came from men older than herself, both of which she knew. Overall, she was pleased and disappointed with the results of the gardenias.

The sun was close to setting for the day and the festival was about to begin. Serenity was in a gown of cheery cornflower blue; nothing too extravagant, as she argued with Luna that she didn't want to flaunt her status amongst the wonderful people of the Glen, it was both arrogant and a sure fire way to alienate herself among the others. Luna begrudgingly packed away her finer dresses, settling with the fact that her Princess was actually going to wear a dress. If she ever found out who gave her those men's trousers and shirt, she would kill them twice over.

Serenity giggled while Luna fixed gardenias and ribbons within her golden hair, "My, how shall I ever make a decision?"

Setting the cards back down, Madelina smiled coyly, "Well, I'm afraid they're the only ones brave enough to challenge the King for your affections."

Both Luna and Serenity stopped what they were doing. The Moon Princess's bright blue eyes grew large as a nervous, shrill laugh came spilling from her lips, "I-I think you have gotten a horrible thought within your head Madelina...!"

The pregnant woman smiled and leaned back with satisfaction, "Have I?"

"Yes, yes you have!" Luna cried out, fumbling with the task at hand of tying a yellow ribbon around a golden braid.

Madelina laughed and put her hands up defensively, "I imply nothing towards the Lady Sere, Luna, only of my cousin's obvious affections."

"But then why did he not give her a gardenia, dear wife?" William walked in, kissing the top of his wife's head, "Bite your tongue before you insult our honored guests with your shameful thinking."

"No, no harm done. Womanly talk is all," Serenity quickly explained, ignoring the strange stab of pain she felt in her heart, "I would only take offense if Madelina could not talk so comfortably with me."

William nodded and wobbled a little on his feet as Mable and Millie tugged at his knees, wanting to be lifted up by their most wonderful daddy.

"See, William. I am behaving," Madelina said, her cheeks growing red, "We are friends, are we not?"

"Aye, wife, aye," he sighed happily, smoothing down her black hair, careful not to disturb the gardenia he had given to her that morning in bed, "But we best be heading towards the square. The feast will be beginning soon."

"Aye, husband, aye," she replied in turn, standing with the help of William, "Ready, Lady Sere? Lady Luna?"

"Ready Ma'ma!" The twins piped up, taking a turn tugging at her dress, "I ready!"

"Ah, yes Dears. I know you to be ready," the mother laughed.

"Done," Luna said with triumph.

Serenity stood with her basket of ambrosias she had picked herself that morning, "Let us go then."

* * *

The feast was, as always, a sight to behold as it sprawled across many rows of long wooden tables. The ambiance of the sun setting upon the fluttering large, colorful ribbons strung throughout the trees, between the posts erected the day before and rooftops were striking. Torches flickered in the pleasant breeze as well, their job to light the tables and dance area when the sun would completely set. That would be when the real revelry would begin....

Endymion stood next to his cousin who was in turn standing upon a hay-covered crate. Mathias spread his hands wide and looked over the mass of villagers, "Welcome to the Festival of Lights! As our yearly honored guest, Endymion will lead us in a prayer of thanks!"

Coming to stand on a crate as well, he watched the mayor step down. He took a deep breath and spoke so that all may hear what he had to say, "Friends, it is time that we celebrate many blessing within our lives tonight! Come, let us bow our heads and say thanks!"

There was a slight mummer within the crowd as all did so.

"Father, may You bless this village and it's abundance. We thank you for giving another successful harvest and pray that you will provide many more in the long years to come. We thank You for all that You have given to us, and ask that You continually watch over all the Silver Council so we may better serve You! In the Father's name, amen."

A collective "amen" washed over the crowd.

"Now, let the festival begin!" Endymion announced, smiling.

Many appreciative hollers were heard as the villagers all sat down at the tables to begin the long awaited feast.

The King made his way to his seat, stopping several times along the way shaking hands and greeting people. As he took his place at the table where his party and his kin were already sitting, he looked up to see a vision in blue walk towards her own seat.

'How can I give you up when you look as you do, Serenity?' Endymion thought.

She wore a beautiful dress of cornflower blue and a cheerful yellow. Most of her silken hair was braided into intricate knots, with a long plait flowing down her back. The only sense of disapproval he could think of was the amount of gardenias accenting her hair....

"Your Majesty," Serenity curtsied along with Luna.

"I hope you will find the festivities as pleasant as I have for all these long years, Lady Sere, Lady Luna," he smiled carefully, gesturing for them to take their places.

They did so and the Princess smiled, "I am most excited. We have no festivals such as this where I come from."

Mathias grinned, passing a platter of honey baked biscuits to Endymion who wearily eyed Serenity, "And where would that be, Lady?"

"I-- uh," she fumbled, looking desperately at the King.

"Norria, a province not far from the Elysian borders. Within Zoicite's northern territories," he supplemented with a smoothness that did not give away his impromptu lie in any way.

"Ah, yes," Serenity smiled with gratitude, "It is such a wonderful place. Have you ever happened upon it, Mayor?"

"No, I cannot say that I have," Mathias said thoughtfully, "I do know of its location though. Most of my travels take me to trade in Crosstowne or on a rare occasion to Elysian...."

The conversation continued on like this, with small idle chat, between all who sat around Endymion. He was mostly silent throughout the meal, but his gaze would often land on Serenity, yet he would on occasion chance a glance at Nephrite, to see if the General's attitude might give something away. However, the Princess seemed determined to keep her attention away from Endymion. She wouldn't so much as spare him a single glance. He wondered about that, but there would be no asking her right out in front of all these people.

The evening's first soft folds of dark began to blanket the village, giving an informal end to the feasting. The flower exchange was beginning, which would be followed by the dance, Endymion thought sourly. He found himself by two trees, sulking in the extra shade they gave against the torches. He watched Serenity intently as she marveled at the sheer amount of fireflies that seemed to come and join the revelers. Their light added a magic to the atmosphere and only made her seem more beautiful, he thought sullenly.

'How will I give you up when you smile as you do?' He sighed mentally.

Serenity took her basket of ambrosias and approached a group of boys Madelina had pointed out to her. She smiled knowingly and handed each of the boys a flower with tied with a yellow ribbon. He chuckled as each of their faces fell until she kissed their foreheads, sending them into elation. They suddenly didn't mind so much that their ribbons where yellow, showing that she wanted to remain their valued friend and nothing more.

Her task done, she then approached Endymion it seemed, even though he thought himself well hidden. His heart lurched when Nephrite intercepted her within earshot.

"Sere, I believe you have something for me?" He smiled, offering her a knowing look.

"Ah yes, Nephrite. Of all the flowers I got I valued this one," she indicated one on the left side of her head and then the right, "and this one the most. Your cards were sweet and encouraging. I am glad I have such good friends as you and Zoicite on this precious Earth!"

F-friends? Endymion blanched and was beside himself, Just friends! he shouted within his mind. Serenity handed him an ambrosia with a yellow ribbon, matching the one Nephrite had obviously given her in an act of friendship! The King was shocked to find himself shaking with laughter and had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep quiet. All that worry for naught!

"We are blessed to have such a fine friend in you, as well!"

Appeased, his time passed more pleasantly as he merrily tapped his foot in time with the music. Watching her dance with several men within the village and all of her young admirers was also much less painful. He was so pleased, in fact, that he did not notice Madelina's presence as she came to stand beside him, free of the twins for only those few hours; they were being watched by Bram, that blessed woman.

"Will you let such a lovely creature slip through your fingers, dear cousin?" she asked.

Endymion's dark gaze never left the silver sprite, "What do you mean?"

She laughed and waved her hand, not feeling up to playing her King's game, "Oh, nothing, nothing, cousin. Well, I'm off to go and retire for the night. I see the twins sleeping on Bram's lap. Goodnight Endymion, may you have your every heart's desire tonight."

He opened his mouth in shock as Madelina waddled off, laughing at her own boldness. She was quite the wild card, that one! Sweet and docile one moment and in the next as conniving and nosy as an old crone. However, he supposed she was right. The wine, he hoped, mostly aided his agreeability. He caught Serenity sitting down with the now liberated Bram, laughing as she fanned the sweat off her brow.

"May I?" He bowed, extending a hand to her.

'How can I give you up when you bathe others in the golden light of your heart?'

Serenity's laughter ceased at once as she looked at him doubtfully. Her gaze flicked down to her hands now in her lap, to Bram, and then back down to her hands with uncertainty, "Ah, yes. I suppose."

This caused his ebony eyebrows to shoot up in question while she accepted his hand. The song was a slow one and they danced accordingly but she still avoided his gaze as much as possible. Unable to stand the silence any longer, the Princess began small talk, "Remember the last time we danced? This is much different than the waltzes of the Court, do you not think so, Your Majesty?"

"You are upset with me," he interrupted, not in the mood for small talk, "Why?"

Finally, he was rewarded with her clear blue gaze, "I am not."

It was such a blatant lie, "Sere, do not shut me out. What have I done?"

She again looked away and he saw that she was searching for the next lie. He sighed with frustration and stopped their dance. Serenity gave him a questioning look as he sought for a secluded area to continue their discussion. Not far from the dance was a small cluster of trees near a building. Taking her hand, he, as inconspicuously as possible, pulled her there. Luna was his biggest concern but she was dancing with the mayor at the moment. Lucky for him.

The Princess started as he turned on her quickly, grabbing her shoulders almost roughly.

"Do not tell me another lie, Serenity," he frowned, "I cannot bear you lying to me."

She bit her lower lip and looked down at her feet, obviously frustrated with something, "I have no right to be upset."

Fireflies lazily went on their way circling the two as they conversed in the secret shade of night. Endymion's gaze softened as the glowing insects illuminated her beauty, "Serenity... I...."

Again, the King sighed and loosened his grip, letting his thumbs caress her shoulders with tenderness. The tendrils of her hair framing her soft, beautiful features, the firefly's light giving her skin an extra ethereal glow, and the vulnerability she showed as tears welled up in her eyes. Here within his grasp he had the manifestation of his every wish, hope, and desire.

Looking dejectedly to the ground she murmured, "You failed to give me a gardenia, Majesty."

He blinked in surprise and pulled back slightly with disbelief, "Serenity...?"

Her face went aflame and he smiled triumphantly. Did this mean...?

A horrified cry rang out in the night well over the music, "FIRE! FIRE!"

Serenity jerked from him, looking frightened. He frantically looked at her then at the villagers rushing off into the night with torches, then back at Serenity. He cursed and ran off following the tell-tell glow in the night. Horrified, he came upon William and Madelina's home engulfed in flames. Mathias was shouting orders while villagers were already trying to douse the flames with water-filled buckets.

"Zoicite!" Endymion bellowed.

The General was by his side with his hands clasped in a meaningful way, eyes fierce with concentration, "On it!"

"Nephrite!"

The other was doing his part, hands weaving through the air before him. Dirt began to wash against the wooden home in an attempt to smother the fire. Nephrite's expression was just as intense with the same single-mindedness as that of Zoicite. Figures came running from the home. Endymion rushed forward as he saw William practically dragging his wife from the burning structure. They fell to their knees and relief flooded him when he heard a small cough as Madelina revealed a safe Millie.

Shaking furiously, Madelina cried hysterically, "Mable, I could not find Mable! Oh my baby! Someone save her!"

William and Endymion were about to rush in to find the girl, but a figure came barreling past them just as the roof began to give way. The breath in Endymion's lungs was robbed as he saw Serenity's water drenched figure rush into the flames.

"SERENITY!"

* * *

It was stifling and even though Serenity knew that she had only been in the house for a scant few seconds, it was already impossible to breathe. Eyes burning, she squinted through the red smoke and flames searching for a small figure. Surely, the child was not upstairs?

She made her way through the kitchen, her vision beginning to waver with the lack of air. Panic began to fill her body as the possibility of passing out was apparent to her. She had to find Mable and soon or they would both die in the inferno.

"Mable!" She choked out, "Mable are you here?"

Above her she could hear a blood curdling crash. The wooden house was collapsing around her.

"Mable!" She shrieked and fell forward, her foot catching on some burning debris.

Falling to her hands, the air quality was only a little better. She winced at her now bloody hands. A hacking cough forced her eyes shut, rendering her blind as she groped for the table she knew to be next to her, all the while wary of the fire consuming everything around her.

A small cough reached her ears. Her eyes painfully snapped open and to her left was a small figure. It was Mable, now unconscious. Serenity pushed aside a smoldering chair and clamored underneath the table to scoop the girl in her arms, "Mable! Thank God!"

The cinder-covered child had obviously hidden under the table in a confused attempt to seek shelter. She felt as if her lungs were on fire. Serenity began to crawl towards where she thought the parlor was. They, however, did not get very far, for a large portion of the upper floor gave way and came hurtling down upon the table pinning the Princess's legs. She cried out in pain, shoving the child beneath her to shield her. The heavy wooden table groaned in protest and it was only a matter of seconds before it gave way too. Trying to pull herself free was impossible she found. Something was obviously broken and the smoldering debris was too heavy for her to lift.

Another coughing fit came over her and blackness began to press upon her consciousness.

_Laila...._

Her eyes began to flutter shut and breathing was impossible. Serenity lazily thought, 'I am going to die here....'

_Laila...._

'Mable is going to die here....'

_Laila tu waylay...._

Her mind weakened against the void pressing upon her, 'Please... I need help.... I am no one. I cannot do it alone.... I do not care what happens to me... only save... Mable....'

_Laila!_

The moment before she passed out, the Princess vaguely noticed the immense crashing sounds as the house collapsed upon itself and upon them both.


End file.
